What is Human Trafficking? A Newcomers 101
Human trafficking, a form of modern day slavery, is casting a growing shadow on an increasingly unstable world, impacting countless lives and communities. Human traffickers exploit the vulnerabilities of their victims to maintain control over them. They frequently resort to either physical or psychological abuse and restrict their victims’ freedom. Additionally, traffickers may keep their victims reliant on them for basic needs like shelter, food, and documentation, or take advantage of their victims’ precarious circumstances. While some traffickers are part of organised crime groups, others may operate independently.
What is Human Trafficking?
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) provides a clear-cut definition of human trafficking: the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, or receipt of persons by means of threat, use of force, or other forms of coercion, for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation can manifest in numerous ways, from forced labour to sexual exploitation, affecting both individuals and entire communities.
The Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 mandates states to eliminate the worst forms of child labour, including all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict; child prostitution and pornography; using children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs; and work which is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.
Traffickers primarily target women, because they are disproportionately affected by poverty and discrimination
The Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 mandates states to eliminate the worst forms of child labour, including all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict; child prostitution and pornography; using children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs; and work which is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.
Forms of Human Trafficking
Human trafficking manifests in various forms, adapting to cultural, economic, and social contexts. Some of the most prevalent forms include:
- Forced Labour: Individuals are made to work under threat or coercion, often receiving little to no compensation.
- Sexual Exploitation: Victims are coerced into commercial sexual activities against their will.
- Child Trafficking: Children are especially vulnerable and are trafficked for various purposes, including forced labour, soldiering, marriage, and sexual exploitation.
- Domestic Servitude: Individuals are made to work in private households in conditions akin to slavery, with restricted freedom.
- Forced Marriage: This involves compelling someone to marry against their will, often accompanied by exploitation and abuse.
- Trafficking for forced criminal activities: Victims are forced to carry out a range of illegal activities, which in turn generate income for criminal organisations.
- Trafficking for Organ Removal: In numerous countries, lengthy transplant waitlists have led criminals to exploit desperate patients and donor-victims, who typically receive minimal compensation and face significant health and financial hardships post-transplant.
- Trafficking for Cyber Fraud: Victims are trafficked by criminal gangs and forced to work in scam centres and other illegal online operations.
Human trafficking is an egregious violation of human rights that thrives on exploitation and coercion. It is a multifaceted issue that transcends borders, impacting millions of lives across the globe, including within Ghana. The diverse forms of trafficking highlight the complex nature of this crime and the varied ways in which individuals can be victimised.
It’s crucial for awareness and education programs to be culturally sensitive and tailored to the specific dynamics of the communities they aim to serve. Engaging local leaders, respecting religious beliefs, and understanding social structures are key to developing effective strategies that resonate with the audience and inspire action.
The Hope Education Project is a human trafficking education and awareness program for schools and communities in Ghana. The HEP program has been designed to reflect the unique challenges Ghana faces and is tailored to the diverse audiences we face throughout the country.