Why does human trafficking happen

A lack of education can lead to decreased opportunities for work at a living wage, and it can also lead to a decreased knowledge in rights. Both outcomes can cause people to be at a greater vulnerability for human trafficking. In prevention of trafficking, education can also empower children to make changes in their community as they grow older that will prevent situations and vulnerabilities of which traffickers take advantage. Basic economics tell us that for a market to form, supply and demand need to exist.

The demands for cheap labor and for commercialized sex lead to opportunities for traffickers to exploit people. Traffickers can make a large profit by producing goods and services through cheap or free labor and selling the products or services at a higher price. Commercialized sex is a lucrative market that allows traffickers and pimps to become the only profiter from their victims through an endless cycle of buyers and high prices.

In many countries, groups that are marginalized in society lack institutionalized human rights, which can lead to them be potential victims of trafficking. Traffickers can prey on these marginalized groups because they lack protection of the law enforcement, their families, and even the society they live in. Also, when countries lack fundamental laws regarding human rights, traffickers feel as though they can get away with what they are doing more easily. When people lack legitimate economic opportunities, that can also lead to increased vulnerability to human trafficking.

Groups that are especially vulnerable in this area are migrants without work permits, those who lack education, those who live in rural areas where there are less jobs available, as well as women and certain ethnic groups who may not be able to get jobs due to discrimination.

Traffickers offer seemingly legitimate jobs to people who cannot get them otherwise, only to lure them into forced labor, sex trafficking, bonded labor, and more. In many countries, cultural practices and social factors are a major cause of human trafficking.

In some places, bonded labor is seen as an acceptable way to pay off debt. In other places, selling children to traffickers is the norm, especially for poorer families in rural areas.

Some countries, such as Mauritania, still practice antiquated slavery, where families are held for generations by slave-masters. There are also instances, like in Uzbekistan, where forced labor is institutionalized. Sexual exploitation and forced labor are driven by demand. Become an advocate for women and girls who are exploited in the commercial sex industry and for those who are being enslaved by their employers.

Start a dialogue with your kids, coworkers and neighbors about human trafficking. Find out what your representatives are doing to address human trafficking in Canada. Choose to support ethical business practices that produce goods and services that are free of slavery and that promote supply chain transparency. Call police, crime stoppers or a sexual assault line. Here is a list of numbers to call and resources for victims and families. You can also volunteer your time with a front-line organization assisting survivors of human trafficking.

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