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
Detention centres, not rubber dinghies, are the modern-day slave ships
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Detention centres, not rubber dinghies, are the modern-day slave ships

‘View yon vessel, with sails expanded, ploughing the deep – Contemplate for a moment the scene which it exhibits – Within that receptacle of human misery, are contained hundreds of beings, possessing passions and feelings congenial to thine own’ – William Belsham, 1790 In May 1788, Sir William Dolben, one of two MPs for Oxford…

Human Trafficking Prevention at American Airlines
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Human Trafficking Prevention at American Airlines

Northampton, MA –News Direct– American Airlines American has become an industry leader in combating human trafficking and child exploitation. We have mandatory human trafficking awareness training for our frontline, customer-facing team members — including flight attendants, pilots and airport customer service representatives — as well as for team members with international purchasing responsibilities. This training…

In the spotlight: the UK’s human rights and modern slavery record under review
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In the spotlight: the UK’s human rights and modern slavery record under review

04 November 2022 In our latest blog, Jo Baker, International Advocacy Manager, takes a look at the UN’s five-year human rights reviews, which will spotlight the UK in 2022. Image credit: Melinda Nagy, via Shutterstock. Every five years, the UK has a human rights health check at the United Nations, performed by other countries, and…

States at COP27 must push climate action without modern slavery
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States at COP27 must push climate action without modern slavery

States are gathering in Egypt on Sunday for the COP27 UN climate summit where the importance of pushing for human rights-based climate action that prioritizes building resilience to modern slavery is paramount.  Activists silenced Egypt has come under scrutiny for its alarming human rights record and increasingly stringent restrictions on human rights and environmental activists,…

Officials, advocates spread awareness of human trafficking in Houston and its airports
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Officials, advocates spread awareness of human trafficking in Houston and its airports

Key figures and experts from across the Houston metropolitan area addressed human trafficking prevention and protection Nov. 4 at the Lone Star Flight Museum. The event brought a variety of organizations together that provide resources to prevent the crime and provide support for its survivors. Some of the organizations include Unbound Now, Bay Area Turning…

Prison-Labor Bans Are About Unions More Than ‘Slavery’
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Prison-Labor Bans Are About Unions More Than ‘Slavery’

What I learned working in the correctional kitchen for 75 cents a day. I worked in York Correctional Institution’s kitchen for five years. I earned 75 cents a day for the first year, then got a raise to $1.75 a day. That job is the reason I’m alive. The work was menial, but it provided…

Rhode Island Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking
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Rhode Island Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking

BOSTON – A Woonsocket, R.I. man was sentenced yesterday for trafficking multiple victims to engage in prostitution across seven states. Ronald Hall, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 18 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Hall was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount that will…

Rookie Central Texas cop wins international award after rescuing human trafficking victims
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Rookie Central Texas cop wins international award after rescuing human trafficking victims

WACO, Texas (KWTX) – A rookie cop from a small Central Texas town has won an international first responder’s award for his role in a traffic stop that resulted in rescuing nine victims of human trafficking. Jordan Williams, 28, has only been a police officer with the Valley Mills Police Department since December of 2021,…

Australia Signs Anti-Slavery Accord with Thailand
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Australia Signs Anti-Slavery Accord with Thailand

Sydney — Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has signed an agreement in Thailand to support a new training center aimed at fighting human trafficking. The training center will give more help to victims of trafficking and will also make them not liable for any crimes committed during time as forced or coerced laborers. The…

Black & Veatch Initiates Sponsorship to Help Combat Human Trafficking | News
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Black & Veatch Initiates Sponsorship to Help Combat Human Trafficking | News

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov 3, 2022– The Senior Policy Operating Group, part of a U.S. cabinet-level entity through The President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, estimates there are nearly 25 million adults and children around the world who are victims of human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery that includes…