Human Trafficking: Supply and Demand

When confronted with the horrific facts of human trafficking, a common question rises to the surface of many minds. Why does this happen? The answer is simple.

Human trafficking is a business of supply and demand.

People want cheap products. Farmers and factory owners use slave labor to keep prices low. People want to indulge in pornography. Producers film it, often using coercion to force their “stars” to perform. People want to purchase sex. Pimps are happy to sell their women, men, and children many times a night. Even video game players can purchase a prostitute on Grand Theft Auto for $50, $70, or $100.

Before a significant difference in the numbers of victims can be made, a change must occur in our culture and mindsets. We have to understand that we aren’t talking about just numbers, discounts, and avatars. These are real people, in real-life situations. These are sons, daughters, sisters, mothers, and brothers.

Like drugs and arms trafficking, human trafficking is a market-driven criminal industry that is based on the principles of supply and demand. … human trafficking is fueled by a demand for cheap labor or services, or for commercial sex acts. Human traffickers are those who victimize others in their desire to profit from the existing demand.  To ultimately solve the problem of human trafficking, it is essential to address these demand-driven factors, as well as to alter the overall market incentives of high-profit and low-risk that traffickers currently exploit. – Polaris Project

Johns and pimps aren’t the only ones to blame for this situation either. To some extent, all of us are—myself included. I don’t know of anyone that doesn’t like a good bargain, and many of us feel forced into buying the cheapest thing on the shelf because of financial difficulties. However, our pennies saved may come at a very steep price—the life of  a forced labor worker.

Until drastic changes are made in the supply chains of products around the world, it will be nearly impossible to avoid purchasing products that are entirely free of slave labor. But that doesn’t let us off the hook. There are things that we can do to make a difference in the fight against human trafficking. Below are a few suggestions to help you get started.

Play 20 Questions.

Take the quiz at slaveryfootprint.org and find out how many slaves work for you based on your purchases. Then follow-up after your score by sending messages to the companies that provide many of your goods to encourage them to eradicate slave labor in their supply lines. According to the quiz, I have approximately 37 slaves working for me.  I would like to see that number go down this year. How about you?

Get Informed.

There are dozens of websites with informational packets to help you learn about human trafficking and modern day slavery. I always recommend Polaris Project and their National Human Trafficking Resource Center as a starting point as they have excellent statistics on the US and ways that you can take part to reduce slavery in your community. Spend an afternoon reading the information provided so you’ll know what trafficking looks like. Put the NHTRC hotline number in your phone so you can report the situation as you see it. (1-888-373-7888)

Tell Your Friends.

Social media is a powerful influencer. Instead of forwarding the funny cat video your friend posted yesterday, why not use your platform to change a life? Take the Slavery Footprint quiz and post your score. Encourage your friends to do the same. Host a Sole Hope shoe cutting party. Invite a local anti-trafficking organization leader to speak at your homeschool group or Bible study. Start a book club with a focus on human rights. There are unlimited ways that you can get involved. You can speak for someone that has no voice.

You Can Make A Difference.

 

Photo credit: AlicePopkorn / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

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