Slavery

Modern slavery is unseen because it's convenient | The Future of Work Podcast - ILO Voices

Slavery is the practice of owning and controlling people as property, and using them for labor or other purposes. It has existed throughout human history, and has taken many different forms. In the past, slavery was often justified on the grounds of race, religion, or nationality, with slaves being considered inferior to their owners. Slavery was abolished in most parts of the world during the 19th and early 20th centuries, but it still exists in some parts of the world today. It is a violation of human rights and is condemned by international law.

The prevalence of modern-day slavery is difficult to determine, as it is often hidden and difficult to detect. However, according to the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage, an estimated 40.3 million people are subjected to modern slavery and human trafficking worldwide. This includes 25 million people who are subjected to forced labour, and 15.4 million people who are in forced marriages. It is a global problem that affects people of all ages, genders, and nationalities. Above all, these crimes are often hidden and difficult to detect, and they require continued efforts to prevent and combat them.

Other terms

  1. Human Trafficking
  2. Modern day slavery
  3. Forced labor
  4. Debt bondage
  5. Forced marriage
  6. Servitude
  7. Labor exploitation
  8. Labor trafficking
  9. Human exploitation

Forms of human trafficking

People who are subjected to these crimes are forced to work in a wide range of occupations and industries. To illustrate, human trafficking occurs in:

  1. Agriculture, including farming, fishing, and forestry
  2. Construction, including building and infrastructure projects
  3. Domestic work, including cleaning, cooking, and childcare
  4. Manufacturing, including textiles, electronics, and clothing
US depends on prison labor, but is slow to mandate fair conditions
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US depends on prison labor, but is slow to mandate fair conditions

From uniforms to bed sheets to state flags, U.S. prisons have a long history of profiting from prison labor. The Bureau of Prisons, which houses federal inmates, sells products through its company Unicor. Unicor brought in $528 million in 2021 alone. Similarly, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice sells products through Texas Correctional Industries. TCI brought in roughly $82…

An activist artist explores caste discrimination and how to fight it – Los Angeles Times
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An activist artist explores caste discrimination and how to fight it – Los Angeles Times

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Tuesday, Feb. 14. I’m Suhauna Hussain, a reporter on the L.A. Times business desk. I write about issues affecting workers. I have a heavy topic to cover today: Dalit caste discrimination. Formerly known as untouchables, Dalits fall at the bottom of a centuries-old South Asian…

Is the anti-trafficking sector ready for real survivor leadership?
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Is the anti-trafficking sector ready for real survivor leadership?

“Survivor leaders are too often viewed as incapable of learning or doing effective anti-trafficking work, and they are tokenised in ways that deny them the opportunities and respect afforded to other anti-trafficking professionals,” says Chris Ash, the Survivor Leadership Program Manager at the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking.   In their powerful article for…

What you need to know about the latest NCAA legal battle
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What you need to know about the latest NCAA legal battle

6:30 AM ET The NCAA returns to a federal courtroom Wednesday to continue its fight against one of the many current challenges to its amateurism-based business model. If this slow march toward something more akin to professional sports is starting to feel to you like the equivalent of an 18-play, 14-minute drive engineered by a…

Stanfield Bill to Reduce The Human Trafficking of Women and Children of Color Approved
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Stanfield Bill to Reduce The Human Trafficking of Women and Children of Color Approved

Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Jean Stanfield to protect women and children of color from human trafficking was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery that exploits the innocence of its victims,” said Stanfield (R-8). “Anyone can be targeted by the perpetrators of these violent crimes, but women…

At least one reported case of human trafficking in all Tennessee counties | Local News
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At least one reported case of human trafficking in all Tennessee counties | Local News

In 2022, there were 88 reports of sex trafficking in East Tennessee. Seven of these reports were from Cumberland County, according to Kevin Reagan, a special agent at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s human trafficking unit. “Numbers and statistics are hard to gather sometimes around this particular thing, because of the population, their demographics, under-reporting,…

8 Filipino trafficking victims in Myanmar rescued – DFA – CNN Philippines
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8 Filipino trafficking victims in Myanmar rescued – DFA – CNN Philippines

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) – Eight rescued Filipino victims of human trafficking in Myanmar have returned home, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported on Monday. Half are males recruited online from Dubai to supposedly work as customer support representatives in Thailand. From Thailand, they were instead brought to Myanmar where they were…

Could survivors help 'fix' anti-trafficking? – openDemocracy
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Could survivors help 'fix' anti-trafficking? – openDemocracy

That’s now changing. In recent years, we have seen high profile examples of people with lived experience being treated as the experts they are. The United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, formed in 2016, “provides a formal platform for trafficking survivors to advise and make recommendations on federal anti-trafficking policies”. Sophie Otiende, a survivor…

Why our thinking on human rights at sea should not end with seafarers
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Why our thinking on human rights at sea should not end with seafarers

It is generally accepted that human rights apply at sea, although there is no convention recognizing or proclaiming the existence and extent of such rights. However, the rights of those at sea continue to be abused. In recent years, much of the focus has rightly been on seafarers and the situation is improving, although there…

Advocates are sharing ways to combat human trafficking in Hampton Roads
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Advocates are sharing ways to combat human trafficking in Hampton Roads

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Human trafficking is a modern take on slavery across the world, and within Hampton Roads trafficking numbers continue to increase. As stated on the Human Trafficking Hotline, in 2022 Virginia ranked 22nd for the number of trafficking calls. Trafficking situations include sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and sex & laboring trafficking. Human…