Hay Lovely's
No I don't normally post anything deep on here which is a shame because well whats the point in having a blog if your not going to try and change the world a little. So I though I would change that...and talk about a subject which I am very passionate about.
Anti Sex Trafficking, in my last year of university I completed a dissertation on the subject of sex trafficking. It was one of the hardest years of my life, not because it was an important year at university, because I dived into a subject which is so taboo and awful that no one could really support me on it. Or understand why I was getting so frustrated when people would change the subject, when I started talking about it, which am sure many people will stop reading this post, because it hard to acknowledge that slavery, yes slavery is how I would define human trafficking is a live and well today.
There is an assumption that women who are trafficked are willing participants but many are dupe into trafficking by "Boyfriend/Friend sanario." This is were a girl from a poor country, or state will be talking into leaving with someone on the pretenses that they will gain a better job, education if they leave. Often this is not the case and the girls will be taken into a country but then later have their passports and liberty removed within hours.
Then there the break in for these women/girls, this is how the traffickers will break these girls spirits and yes its just as awful as you see in Law and Order: SVU, if not worse. Women/girls will be gang raped, beaten, burned, humiliated, threatened (family/friends) and much worse until they comply with there owners needs. Even if the women/girls earn money from the prostitution they are forced into, they will have to pay fees i.e. rent, food, clothing, bedding, even pay to use the loo. A little to back home to their families so they wont be aware of the hell their daughters are going through. And probably much worse than even I can imagine.
Even if the traffickers get caught the women who are extremity traumatized from all their ordeals (that words seems silly but cant think of any other). Most are prosecuted, sent back home to be either be shunned and rejected by their communities if they find out what happened to them or re-trafficked by another gang or worse, killed. I should also point that many governments have laws and legislation which means any women/girl who reports themselves as being trafficked can seek help and some form of asylum mostly on the grounds that the help prosecute the traffickers - however if a large organisation who had been torturing you and the other women around you said they would torturer or kill your loved ones if you spoke out, would you?!
Thanks for reading and here are some helpful links for anyone looking for more information on Sex Trafficking or Human Trafficking: Please be aware that many charity organisations have a high level of confidentiality and will help any women who is trafficked without prejudice, or obligations.
Human Trafficking Foundation - http://www.humantraffickingfoundation.org/
Tara Group Glasgow - http://www.saferglasgow.com/what-we-do/support-services-for-victims/support-to-victims-of-human-trafficking.aspx
Rape Crisis Scotand - http://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/
Unicef UK - http://www.unicef.org.uk/UNICEFs-Work/What-we-do/Our-campaigns/Stop-child-trafficking/?gclid=CMmZtrCwpL0CFdShtAodbXsAQg&sissr=1
US State department - http://www.state.gov/j/tip/
Not For Sale (US Charity) - http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/