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On 2 December, the world marks United Nations International
Day for the Abolition of Slavery. But slavery continues, despite
being against the law. Millions of women, children and men around
the world are living in slavery today.
Slavery takes many forms. It is bonded labour, forced labour, early
and forced marriage, hazardous child labour, the commercial sexual
exploitation of children and human trafficking.
Human trafficking is the fastest growing form of slavery. A US
Government report estimates at least 800,000-900,000 people are
trafficked across borders each year; this does not include people
trafficked within a country. Traffickers use violence, coercion
and deception to force people into a range of exploitative work.
Boys as young as four are trafficked to the United Arab Emirates
as camel jockeys, men into forced labour in Brazil and women and
girls, like Adriana, are trafficked into prostitution in Europe:
When Adriana was 15 her father forced her to marry Driton. She
believed the marriage was real but Driton was a trafficker and her
father had sold her for over US$16,000. Driton took her from Albania
to Paris via Athens and through threats and beatings forced her
into prostitution. Eventually, she escaped, but was caught by French
police and returned to Albania.
Trafficking, like all forms of slavery, is illegal under international
law, yet in many countries laws are not implemented and victims
of trafficking are treated as criminals.
"Governments must act against slavery. They need to address
the conditions that lead to this abuse, and prosecute those who
profit from slavery. The failure to implement laws and reluctance
to help those most vulnerable keep the system of slavery alive,"
Mary Cunneen Director of Anti-Slavery International says.
Slaves are forced to work through the use or threat of violence.
They are owned or controlled by an 'employer' through mental or
physical threat, dehumanised, treated as a commodity or bought and
sold as property. They are physically constrained or have restrictions
placed on their freedom of movement.
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