Fourth World Day Against Trafficking in Humans

Sunday, 30 July 2017 is the fourth United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Humans, defined by the United Nations as 'a crime that exploits women, children and men for numerous purposes including forced labour and sex'. Mercy International Association (MIA) of which Sisters of Mercy Parramatta Congregation is a member is fully committed to working with the global network of all those dedicated to eradicating this heinous crime. The origin of Mercy's commitment to the victims of human trafficking can be traced to Catherine McAuley's outreach to distressed women.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that Almost 21 million people are victims of forced labour – 11.4 million women and girls and 9.5 million men and boys.

Human trafficking is a crime fuelled by a number of factors including global poverty, inadequate education and opportunity, ethnic discrimination and societal gender inequity, and by the demand for cheap labour and cheap sex. It is a crime that transcends cultures, class and geography. Trafficking is linked to prostitution, drug use, homelessness and marginalisation. Migrant workers and indigenous people are particularly vulnerable to forced labour. As the 2017 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report illustrates, virtually every country in the world is affected by this crime, whether as an origin, transit or destination country for smuggled migrants by profit-seeking criminals.

5 simple actions we can all take to address this issue:

• Use ethical shopping guides so your purchases help ensure producers in the developing world receive fairer prices and better working conditions
• Consult the Country Narratives section of the 2017 TIP Report to find out how well Australia is doing in its efforts to address the issue of human trafficking
• Read the monthly Stop Trafficking Newsletter to educate yourself about this important social issue
• Purchase FAIRTRADE, Rainforest Alliance or UTZ certified chocolate to ensures that no slave labour has been used in the chocolate’s production.
• Pray for the release of victims of human trafficking and for their captors to have a change of heart.