Picture a timeline of all recorded history—nearly 4,000 years. In that time, some form of legalized slavery has existed in every country in the world. It is only when we zoom into the last 220 years on this historical timeline—a mere sliver of time—that we see nations have begun, one by one, to acknowledge the horrors of slavery and pass laws to abridge or curtail the slave trade and emancipate those affected by it.
Read MoreAs of 2018, human trafficking is illegal in all 50 United States (starting with Washington in 2003), and is recognized as a global crime. A number of national and international laws are in place that have been instrumental in criminalizing the act of trafficking by penalizing traffickers, and even recently, those who purchase victims.
Read MoreHere at Dressember we spend much of our time and resources advocating for trafficking victims at home and abroad. A question we often receive is, “Isn't it the responsibility of the government to address social issues like human trafficking?” It’s a sensible question—after all, if governments are not protecting their citizens, who will? Indeed, as of 2018, human trafficking is illegal in all 50 United States, (beginning with Washington in 2003), and is recognized as a global crime. There are a variety of state, federal and global laws and acts in place to prosecute traffickers and protect victims.
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