“Victims’ Voices Lead the Way” On This July 30th

Jul 30, 2021 05:30PM ● By Kassidy Garland

Human trafficking is a crime that exploits people of any and all backgrounds for a number of reasons including forced sex work or labor. Since 2003, the UNODC or UN Office on Drugs and Crime has collected information from an estimated 225,000 surviving victims of sex trafficking. With a high capacity to identify victims and traffickers, the conviction rate is also growing.

According to the International Rescue Committee, “Currently, most known trafficking victims are identified in their own countries, as highlighted by the 2018 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons.”

According to the UN, In 2007, the Inter-Agency Coordination Group Against Human Trafficking (ICAT) was established with the goal of addressing the growing, global trafficking problem. In 2010, The General Assembly adopted the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons in order to encourage governments to take consistent and coordinated measures. The UN Voluntary Trust Fund for victims of trafficking was created to aid survivors.

Member States of the Global Plan of Action designated July 30th as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in order to raise awareness not only among governments but to protect the rights of victims.

Unfortunately, victims of human trafficking experience roadblocks on their journey for help. They experience trauma from their time being trafficked as well as difficulties transitioning back into their lives, as they are often met with misunderstanding, judgment, and ignorance.

The UN established the Blue Heart Campaign as a representation of the sadness of those who are trafficked while reminding us of the cold-heartedness of those who buy and sell fellow human beings.

This year’s theme is “Victims’ Voices Lead the Way”. It’s goal is to put victims of human trafficking at the center of the campaign and highlights the importance of listening to and learning from survivors of human trafficking.

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Kassidy Garland has had a great appreciation for reading and writing since she was young. She graduated from West Chester University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English & Women and Gender Studies. With a concentration in creative writing, Kassidy has 5 years of experience writing blogs, articles, and for social media. Kassidy is also pursuing a Master’s degree in IT with a concentration in Web Development. Based out of Philadelphia, Kassidy loves to write about a number of topics and looks forward to sharing her passion with those at FunTimes Magazine.