What's that you say? Slavery? Wasn't that abolished eons ago? Sadly, not. Today we just close our eyes, ignore it, or call it something else, but slavery it is.
- In the UK, the Home Office estimates that at least 4,000 women and girls are trafficked into the each year and forced into prostitution.
- The U.S. government estimates that approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year; about 14,500-17,500 of them into the United States. Conservatively about 1/3 of foreign-born trafficking victims are children.
I'd heard about the exhibit in Trafalgar Square, and as it ends on the weekend I thought I'd check it out today after work. The exhibit attempts to give visitors an experience of the miserable plight of women sold into sexual slavery today. At one point you look through a peep hole and see what you would look like as a sex worker. You step into her bedroom/"office". You read the denials of her request for government asylum.
The exhibit is put on by the Helen Bamber foundation - Emma Thompson is apparently chair. They've got a petition you can sign - it's probably more applicable to those of you in the UK.
For those of you in the US who'd like to learn more, you can visit the following websites:
1 comment:
hi from the northwest!
i can't believe it's been so long since i've read your blog. long term service keeps you busy, as i'm sure you know.
portland was amazing!
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