A learning night talk by Josh To on sex trafficking

2. Sex-Trafficking = Modern day
Sexual Slavery

3. What is it?
• Buying/Selling of persons
• forced to perform sexual
acts against their will
– Other forms of
trafficking:
• Labour
• i.e. sweatshops,
construction

4. What is it?
“Sex-Trafficking is the recruiting &
transportation persons, for sexual
exploitation
through the use of force, coercion,
deception or threats against the person
sexual exploitation → forced prostitution

5. The Problem Today
Sex-Trafficking
• 80%+ women, 50% minors
• The average age of entry is 12-14
– Some research says 18-19
• ~ 27 million slaves
• Compared to Trans-
Atlantic
• 58% - sex slavery
• 36% - forced labour

6. The Problem Today
• Human-trafficking = 2nd
largest criminal
industry
• Fastest growing (USHHS)
• $30B industry

7. Where does this happen?
Domestic
- July 2014 – KW
area
- Forced women
to be escorts
Global
- South-East Asia
- Eastern Europe
- North America

8. What does it look like?

9. Result is often forced prostitution

11. Sex tourism/Exploitation

13. How does it happen?
(how does someone become a victim of
trafficking?)

14. Lured
- “Loverboy”
- Abusive partner
Tricked
- Job advertisement
- “Waitressing, Modelling”
Forced
- Kidnapped

16. Trapped
Once lured into the industry, it is
almost impossible to leave.

17. Trapped
• Raped
• Beaten
• Drugged
• “Brainwashed”
– Traffickers specifically abuse them to diminish
their self-esteem/self-w0rth

18. Loss of Identity
• Tattoo/branding
– Pimp will tattoo their
name or symbol on
victim
• Documentation taken
– Pimp/trafficker holds
their passport,
identification
• Constantly moved around
– Across cities & borders

19. Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHa9MJJgIzQ

20. Why does it happen?
The Perfect Storm
- Circumstances/context
– Developing countries, poverty
– Vulnerable, abused
– Traffickers willing to exploit
– Victims of authority
– War-torn areas
• Orphans

21. Example
Camilia, Cambodia
- age 11
- Virginity sold ~ $1000
- Average annual income ~ $300

22. Why don’t they just leave?
• Raped, beaten, threatened, drugged, threatened
• Stockholm Syndrome
• Self-esteem/self-worth diminished
• Nowhere else to go (if moved to different country,
where do they go for help?)
• Documentation taken/destroyed
• Expected to earn $ for family
• Love? Attention?

23. What is being done?
NGOs
• Rescue operations
• Victim recovery
• Prosecute traffickers
• Legislation
– Ex: Nordic Model
– Canada’s Bill C-36
• $20 million to help victims leave (if
they want to)
– stop imprisoning prostitutes / trafficking
victims
– Target buyers of sex & pimps

24. IJM
• Holistic
• Rescue, victim recovery, skills-
training
Work with:
• Social workers
• Law enforcement
• Lawyers
• Trauma recovery

25. Success
• 2,266 children, women and men set free from forced
labour in India.
• 239 girls and young women were rescued from sex
trafficking in India, Cambodia and the Philippines.
• 43 innocent men and women were set free from prison in
Kenya.
• 153 criminals were convicted.

26. Rahab Ministry (local)
• Outreach to sex workers
– Massage parlours, salons
• Leave gifts/care packages
• Tutoring, ESL
• Crisis Management
• Support
– Financial, shelter, emotional, social, spiritual
– Counselling

27. What can I do? The feelings I had
when first hearing about the issue
I’m just a student,
This is an overwhelming issue,
I can’t do anything..

28. What can I do?
1) Become educated
- documentary, books
- be aware
2) Give
- it’s not just about $
- give of your time, energy, volunteer

29. 3) Join an initiative
- International
Justice Mission
UW
- Help raise funds
and awareness

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