Unity House is proud to help raise awareness of human trafficking, an issue that largely remains hidden despite heightened awareness around sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Tackling the issue starts with acknowledging the problem that is human trafficking.
Helpful information can be found at National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Below is helpful information taken from their site, as well as links to the National Wear Blue Campaign to help raise awareness. You can help by joining Unity House in wearing blue on Friday, January 10th and share information on social media. A reminder that Unity House has staff who have expertise on this topic and others. If you would like a speaker to present on the topic of human trafficking or related issue, please contact us at (518) 274-2607 x4133 and we would be happy to present to your staff, office group, or faith community.
Unity House will observe Wear Blue Day on Friday, January 10th.
Here are some helpful definitions from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, and here is a video on the topic:
What is human trafficking?
Human trafficking is “modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.” Human trafficking is not the same as human smuggling, which involves illegal transportation of a person across a border.
Victims of human trafficking are of all genders, ages, races, countries, socioeconomic statuses, and so on. While human trafficking can happen to anyone, people who are already in vulnerable situations – such as people experiencing homelessness – may be more likely to be targeted.
What is sex trafficking?
The different kinds of human trafficking include sex trafficking, forced labor, and domestic servitude. Sex trafficking victims may be forced, threatened, or manipulated by promises of love or affection to engage in sex acts for money. Any person under the age of 18 involved in a commercial sex act is considered a victim of human trafficking.
What can you do to get involved?
Human trafficking is an issue that touches every community, including cities, suburbs, and rural towns, but there is something each of us can do to help prevent it.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign provides plenty of opportunities for individuals or organizations to raise awareness about human trafficking.
The Blue Campaign’s Tools That Teach are highly visual, easy-to-comprehend resources explaining what human trafficking is and what you can do to stop it. You can download and share posters, videos, and infographics from the Blue Campaign website for free. For more in-depth information, check out their additional resources, including awareness videos, trainings, cards, pamphlets, toolkits, and more.
You can also spread the word by participating in the second-annual #WearBlueDay on Friday, January 10th. Simply take a picture of yourself, your friends, your colleagues, or your family wearing blue and post it online using the hashtags #WearBlueDay and #WeWearBlueBecause.