Why the UN is Too Pessimistic About a Rise in Trafficking

by Amanda Kloer · 2009-09-12 09:00:00 UTC
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Not everyone has the ovaries to do this, but I'm gonna disagree with the UN. According to a new UN report, crappy world conditions like global recession, female infanticide, and poverty will breed more crappy world conditions like human trafficking into a big depressing spiral. Sure, things are rough and might get a little rougher, but here's why I think that despite the bump in exploitation the recession will initially bring, the future looks rosier than the UN claims.

1. We're getting over our obsession with sex (trafficking). The UN points out that many countries are still struggling to identify and help victims of labor trafficking, even if they've gotten pretty good at finding slaves in commercial sex. But all over the world, NGOs and governments are starting to expand their focus to include labor trafficking victims as well as sex trafficking victims. It's a long way to an equal or even proportional labor/sex focus, but we're moving in the right direction.

2. We're finally getting the idea of domestic trafficking. The past three years have seen a significant increase in awareness in many countries that human trafficking is not just about foreign people being moved across borders, but about anyone being enslaved or exploited anywhere. Countries like the U.S., China, and Brazil with huge internal trafficking problems are finally starting to address them.

3. Legislation is being created and improved. Countries from Japan to Nigeria are creating new and better legislation to prevent trafficking, identify and protect victims, and prosecute the traffickers. Yes, there are still some gaping holes in a lot of the laws, but there are also laws where there were none before. And that's improvement.

Sure, it will be an uphill battle over the next few years, but who's to say that won't just result in some well-toned glutes and a healthy appreciation for the challenge. I think the UN is forgetting how much progress we've made and only focusing on how much we have to go. So chin up and smile and little, UN.  You might just find that a positive attitude is the first step to progress.

Photo credit: Optimism by billaday

Amanda Kloer is a Change.org Editor and has been a full-time abolitionist in several capacities for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @endhumantraffic
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