Empowering Youth Voices against Human Trafficking

-






On the 26th of April a seminar for empowering youth voices to combat human trafficking was held in the American Center. I was privileged enough to attend it and it was really an eye opener. Human Trafficking is the action or practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another, typically for the purposes of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.

It is a major issue in our country but is often ignored as non-existent. We feel that human trafficking is a problem which only affects the illiterate or the poor. This is a myth which was busted in this seminar. Several facts were highlighted like trafficking happens every day, and in nearly every community. It might be occurring in the neighborhood without your attention and functioning a full scale racket.

The seminar also emphasized that Human trafficking is one of the most tragic human rights issues of our time. It splinters families, distorts global markets, undermines the rule of law, and spurs other transnational criminal activity. It threatens public safety and national security. But worst of all, the crime robs human beings of their freedom and their dignity. That's why we must pursue an end to the scourge of human trafficking.

Trafficking victims can be men, women, children, citizens and non-citizens alike, from all socio-economic groups. It was revealed that according to a survey more than 80% sexual exploitation is done to men, for the sole reason that they do not speak up and the crime gets dismissed. The stigma which exists around women always needing to look good and the stereotype that men should be macho and manly every moment also contributes to human trafficking.

We also due to lack of awareness at times contribute to these heinous crimes. The chocolates we buy consists cocoa which is often collected by children who have been trafficked for the same. Even the mattresses we purchase, the material of it is brought by trafficked humans. A minor step here would be inquiring about how they were made and who contributed to it. At times its mentioned on the packages of products, it can be hence avoided.

It’s important to encourage people that they have a role in fighting against it. Firstly be aware for self safety and also report if you know of a suffering victim. Shakti Vahini is an organization which rigorously works for the safety and rescue of human trafficking victims, contact them in case of any help required at shaktivahini@yahoo.co.in

#EndTrafficking #KolkataTIPConclave7

By: Shivalika Singh


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

6 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT YOUTH

-
Image
6 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT YOUTH “Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.”  ― Franz Kafka It is said that the world’s two most prized gifts are the love of a woman and the beauty of youth. While we always talk about women, today let’s take this opportunity to talk about youth. Youth is the most treasured trait that a person can have, without it a person can be 45 but feel like 85. Youth or young people around the globe are always treated as not only the “future” of humankind but also looked upon as the envied lot, as their energy levels are still at their peak. So let’s take this time to learn a bit more about them: 1.     The definition varies from country to country. According to the United Nations, “Youth” are the people who are of ages 15-24. However different countries have different definitions. In Nigeria youth are termed to be people between ages 18 and ...
Read more

SAND ROVER || The Tough Terrain BOT RACE || KSHITIJ '19

-
Event Name :- Sand Rover Get ready for one of the most thrilling and brainstorming events, in which you would have to build up an all-terrain bot which can surf over uneven terrains swiftly, with minimum spillage of sand to beat all others by covering the maximum contour in a given time. For all the racing enthusiasts, Kshitij, IIT Kharagpur presents Sand Rover, to combine their maneuvering and robotics skills to excel and experience the unbelievable. Prize money: INR 30,000 Register at https://ktj.in/mechanize Submit your abstracts to submission@ktj.in before 25th December 2018. #SandRover #KTJ2k19
Read more

Xavotsav'18

-
Image
        XAVIERS COLLEGE PRESENTS XAVOTSAV 2018: SOUNDS OF THE MULTIVERSE On 21 st January, Xaviers kick-started the day with their much awaited fest Xavotsav , and brought to us three days of fun, music, dance, and as Kolkata would otherwise call it “full on mosti!!”. In association with Telegraph-t2 and co-presented by MTV Beats and Vh1 India, Xavotsav’18 brought us another grooving experience that was missing when we’d begun with the new year.  Starting each day with the different competitive showdowns by the surrounding colleges, and ending the nights with the long awaited prized performances, we faced a lot of noisy cheers, claps and dedicated chants during every college’s moments of fame. Two words would be “Killer Madness”. There were different stalls for food and snacks counters all round, people were not deprived of any variety throughout the course of the fest. The first day was initiated by the opening ceremony, followed by t...
Read more