We may associate slavery as an action that only ocurred in the past of this world. The phenomen has only increased and is rapidly growing. Modern day slavery has become an industry of huge profit for the black market. Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industy that we commonly associate only with third world countries. The reality is that it’s occuring in our backyards; on American soil. The United States has become a high importer of sex slaves.

“America’s largest anti-slavery organization, Free the Slaves estimates that at least 10,000 people a year are smuggled or duped into this country by sex traffickers” (http://www.tradethemovie.com/get_involved.html).

 This is an issue that I have been following for about two years. One of the reasons that it has caught my attention is because  I’m a woman, and a mother. This is happening not only in my country but the world including Latin America where many of these transactions are held. The women and children who are stolen from their families, kidnapped, beaten, raped, drugged, moved around like cargo and shipped as merchandise, auctioned and sold for the purpose of sexual exploitation. When I learned about human trafficking it was an instinctive reaction to take some sort of action to help in stopping it. So when I heard about a petition two years ago I took part in signing it.

The  petition encouraged our government to pass a law prosecuting Americans for sexually soliciting minors overseas. I was one of the thousands who signed it and last year Congress passed the law, and it has been put into practice ever since. So with this introduction, I have tried to find ways to get the word out  on human trafficking and finding more information on it; however, we still have a long road ahead of us in ending sex slavery. It is estimated that 80% of humans trafficked are female and 50% are minors. The State Department has estimated that about 800,000 people are trafficked over international borders yearly, largely for sexual exploitation. It has unfortunately become a pandemic and more awareness and laws need to be made in protecting human rights. I came across a film that was released this passed weekend reflecting on the human trafficking issue.

Actor Kevin Cline, has made a movie titled “Trade”. This film focuses on the human trafficking industry and has captured the attention of many U.N. officials. Although the film isn’t a multi-million dollar film it captures the brutesque reality of sex slavery and the lives it has destroyed in the process. This is a film that shouldn’t go ignored. It’s a movie that affects us on a global scale and shows us the trade of human trafficking. The State Department has estimated that about 800,000 people are trafficked over international borders yearly, largely for sexual exploitation. Please learn more about human trafficking and what you can do to fight this human rights violation.

Human Rights Organizations Involved with Sex Trade:

Watch Full Screen Trailer of “Trade”