International Policies Fighting Human Trafficking
Human trafficking has become the fastest-growing illegal business on the planet. Fueled by consumer demand for cheap labor and sex, it especially preys upon children and women. To fight this injustice, human trafficking laws have been created to advocate for human rights.
“Human trafficking affects us all, whether we live in countries of origin, transit or destination. Preventing and combating it requires a comprehensive international approach. We must act together to stop a crime in our midst that deprives countless victims of their liberty, dignity and human rights.”
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly. It is described as an international bill of rights for women. Its aim is to end women’s discrimination, to ensure their protection and to establish the equality of men and women in their legal systems. This is important because women are often the victims of human trafficking. CEDAW protects women from discrimination and exploitation through governmental legislation.
International laws in place to fight human trafficking emerged with the approval of the TVPA in 2000. The groundbreaking Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) made trafficking a federal crime in the U.S and increased the penalties for related offenses, such as involuntary servitude. This law also recognized for the first time the psychological means of coercion in human trafficking as well as the physical means of enslavement and control. It designated trafficked persons as “victims” and entitled them to certain benefits and services, including a special trafficking-visa (T-visa), which allows certain survivors and immediate family members to temporarily stay and work in the U.S. The TVPA is considered the first comprehensive national anti-trafficking law in the world and penalizes governments for failing to fight human trafficking.
Within that same year, governments around the world agreed to the Palermo Protocol, which was adopted by the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. It’s been in full force since December 2000 and is the main tool in fighting against transnational organized crime. It has three protocols that criminalize human trafficking: the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children; the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea, and Air; and the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts, and Components, and Ammunition.
Since 2001, the U.S. government has annually released the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Reports. It ranks governments based on their efforts to combat and recognize human trafficking. Since it is hard to track information relating to human trafficking, number estimates often change. Though human trafficking statistics are difficult to pinpoint, the TIP report is important because it encourages other countries to increase anti-trafficking legislation and enforcement.
Screening tools and training help agencies to discover and assist victims to obtain deeper insight on this injustice. With the right tools, knowing how to measure human trafficking can prevent law enforcement agencies and service providers from misclassifying trafficking as offenders of labor exploitation, domestic violence or look-alike crimes, such as smuggling, illegal employment or prostitution.
Advocacy For Better Policies
Help advocate for better policies to combat human trafficking by protecting victims and raising awareness of this injustice on a local and global level. Consider the following to push for this “hidden” population to be seen and heard:
Spread awareness: Tell the world about the crime of human trafficking. There can’t be change if no one realizes there is a problem.
Divest from products and services that promote human trafficking: Decrease the demand for cheap labor and sex by avoiding porn and fast fashion. Instead, buy products that are made ethically and fairly.
Support elected officials: Help promote political leaders who support anti-human trafficking initiatives, promote human trafficking data collection and support anti-trafficking legislation.
About the Author
Elle Magaña Mireles is a Latinx sustainable fashion advocate based in Chicago, IL. She believes clothing can be a gateway to creating a more just and humane world by bringing about global, positive change. In her free time, she writes for her sustainable fashion blog called Just Irenic, spends quality time in nature, and takes courses on social justice.