Vulnerability and Trafficking

"Needing to find work, but unable to pay any transportation cost, she accepted a bus driver’s offer to take her for free to a factory job in Thailand. She was sold there to a brothel owner, who told her that she could not leave until she worked off the money he had paid the bus driver. She has never been told how much this was, how much she earns per client or how long it will take her to work off her debt."

– Story of a child victim of trafficking

Factors rendering particular individuals and communities vulnerable to trafficking are varied and complex.

These factors, which limit an individual’s ability to make choices and to access their rights, render them vulnerable to being exploited as they may have no perceived or actual alternative when presented with an offer of work, or when faced with threats, coercion, or violence.

What are the factors that may lead vulnerability to trafficking?

FACTORS

POVERTY(6)

POVERTY(2)

POVERTY(5)

POVERTY(4)

POVERTY(3)

POVERTY(1)

POVERTY(7)

POVERTY

“Do you all remember the feeling that you had when you were in middle school ... The feeling of excitement, wanting to belong, but yet being very, very, very vulnerable? That's what traffickers prey upon, vulnerability.”

Now let's listen to the story of Barbara Amaya, who was a victim of human trafficking:

Barbara Amaya | TEDxMidAtlantic

I was human trafficked for 10 years. We can do more to stop it.

Resources:

https://www.labourexploitation.org/sites/default/files/publications/Vulnerabilities%20to%20trafficking_final.pdf

https://youtu.be/U_kXuQHZmWs

https://www.unicef.org/publications/index_21134.html