January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
Human trafficking, the illegal trade in human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor, is not exactly a topic we Americans bring up on a regular basis. But did you know that an estimated 5.5 million children are victims of trafficking, an illegal enterprise that generates billions of dollars in yearly profits?
And if you think human trafficking is a problem that happens in other parts of the world, think again, because human trafficking cases have been reported in every state in the United States. Every state. Rates are particularly high in California, Texas, Florida, and New York.
Thousands of children right here in the United States have been bought and sold, forced into prostitution, or made to work in hard labor jobs with little to no pay. It’s hard to believe, but true.
UNICEF wants your help to make the number of exploited children in the US zero. They are mobilizing communities in order to help protect children.
How can you help? First, watch the PSA below.
UNICEF also has several resources you can dowload for free on their website. You can connect with them via Twitter, Facebook or GOOD.is. Or post the National Human Trafficking Hotline number, 1-888-373-7888.
No child deserves to be exploited.
I wrote this post as part of the Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of Mom Bloggers for Social Good members who focus on maternal health, children, hunger, and women and girls.
