Human trafficking is in Ohio.

I recently attended a luncheon at The Athletic Club in downtown Columbus, provided by the Columbus Council on World Affairs (CCWA). This event focused on human trafficking in our community and beyond. The keynote speaker was Ambassador Mark P. Lagon, the Executive Director and CEO of The Polaris Project , one of the largest anti-trafficking organizations in the United States and Japan. The Polaris Project works on all forms of trafficking; serving both citizen and foreign national victims of human trafficking.

Prior to this event, I did not have a very informed idea of human trafficking and only equated it to prostitition. For those of you who do not know what it is, let me take a moment to define it for you.

Human Trafficking is modern-day slavery. It is sexual exploitation that often rests under the guise of domestic servitude.  It’s forced labor. It’s victims are girls, boys and on any given day affects 100,000 children.  Human trafficking has yet to be taken seriously in our court systems. It is a violation of our most basic human rights and overwhelmingly affects women.  It is slavery.

During the course of the luncheon, Ambassador Lagon, eloquently painted the picture of human trafficking as a web of organized and unorganized crime and corruption,  labor traffickers, and unregulated business operations. He presented statistics of  it’s victims, issues related to legislation, funding, and traffickers.

Did you know that 14,500 victims of human trafficking enter the United States annually?   Over 200,000 children are affected by human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation in the United States every year. Human trafficking touches us on the global, national and local level – and yes, it’s in Ohio.

Due to Ohio’s proximity to various borders, our  interstate highways (which make it easier to transport victims),  the number of truck stops, the number of immigrant workers, and the number of women and children that live below the poverty line, Ohio is a state that is very attractive to human traffickers.  

Human trafficking generates roughly $32MM annually. The slave traders see it as a business.  Human trafficking operations are not just limited to domestic prostitution rings, but also brothels, escort services, “massage” parlors and large criminal networks.

Ambassador Logan told us that “human trafficking has a supply side and a demand side. It is this demand that pulls victims into human trafficking.”  

Demand? Who is driving demand?

For some reason I found myself grappling with the term demand.  Is demand married? Does demand own a business?  Is demand sitting in corporate America? Is demand my neighbor? The reality is the people who commit this crime come from various backgrounds.

I’m sure that we could have a lively conversation about the root causes of human trafficking child neglect, poverty, the ripple effect of an over sexualized society – but I was more interested in actions items and what I could do to help.  There were many people at the luncheon who shared in this need for action.  The following tips on practical ways to help were provided by Ambassador Lagon and the Polaris Project website:

Get Informed – Visit the Polaris Project website (www.polarisproject.org)and get informed about what’s going on globally and locally.

Raise Awareness – Watch a documentary on human trafficking with your family, friends and spread the word to your personal network.

Shop smart – Often human trafficking is conducted through unregulated labor operations and brokers. Get a copy of the List Produced by Child and Forced Labor of corporations that make products from the hands of forced labor. Choose to not purchase those products.

Report a tip at 888-3737-888 - The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) is a national, 24/7 hotline available to answer calls from anywhere in the United States.  Call to report a tip; connect with anti-trafficking services in your area; or request training and technical assistance, general information or specific anti-trafficking resources.

Get Active – Call your legislators!  Did you know that only $12.5 Million in government monies is dedicated to human trafficking?  This is a joke! We need funding and tougher laws – laws that recognize human trafficking as a crime and laws that punish the criminals and not the victims.  Find a local program in your community that provides services to victims and helps to empower them to start a free and healthy life. Organizations such as Gracehaven in Dublin, Ohio  – provides girls who have been exploited with shelter and educational services. I’m sure they would love your support.

Take a look at President Obama’s declaration. President Obama declared January “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month” — as the month is bookended by the anniversaries of the Emancipation Proclamation and the dispatching of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution for ratification.

In honor of  National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, I plan to view a documentary with my family and friends to spread awareness to my personal network.

Do you have suggestions for a documentary that focuses on this issue? Are there other practical ways you plan to help that I didn’t mention? Can you think of ways our government and community can minimize the “demand” for human trafficking? 

I’d love to hear from you!

TaLisa Sheppard, Director of Finance & Operations, The Women’s Book.