Showing posts with label # Anti- Slavery Day # Exploitation # Trafficking # Awareness #Human rights # Climate change #News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label # Anti- Slavery Day # Exploitation # Trafficking # Awareness #Human rights # Climate change #News. Show all posts

Monday, 18 October 2021

Anti-Slavery Day

                             
 
Many people may think of slavery as a thing of the past, but unfortunately they couldn’t be more wrong. The realities of modern day slavery are not always visible in our direct surroundings or social circles, however it still runs deep in communities all around the world. 
Whilst the transatlantic slave trade was outlawed in 1807 and slavery is prohibited internationally by Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there are still an estimated 12.3 million people across the world in slavery today, forced to work for little or no pay.
It is thought that the buying, selling and exploitation of people is the fastest growing crime in the world today. Long supply chains in today’s globalised economy create spaces of opportunity for traffickers to exploit the most vulnerable. 
Thousands of people in the UK alone are currently living as slaves. This means they can’t exercise personal freedom and they are being forced to work against their will.
Created by Anthony Steen CBE, then MP for Totnes, now Chair of the Human Trafficking Foundation, through a Private Members’ Bill in December 2009.The Bill passed through all its stages in the House of Commons and the House of Lords quickly and gained Royal Assent on 8 April 2010, becoming law as the Anti-Slavery Day Act 2010. In July that year, the Prime Minister, David Cameron MP, announced that Anti-Slavery Day would fall on 18 October every year. This date coincides with the European Union’s Anti-Trafficking Day. Since then, it remains a firm date in the calendar for human rights defenders, charities, civil society and government alike and is often marked with events about combatting modern slavery together.
Anti-Slavery Day was introduced with three aims. Firstly, to “acknowledge that millions of men, women and children continue to be victims of slavery, depriving them of basic human dignity and freedom.” To “raise awareness amongst young people and others of the dangers and consequences of slavery, human trafficking and exploitation and encourage them to be proactive in the fight against it.” And finally, “draw attention to the progress made by government and those working to combat all forms of slavery, human trafficking and exploitation, and (to) what more needs to be done.”  
Anti-Slavery Day serves as a reminder to people across the UK that despite the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, slavery which is supposed to be illegal in every country on the planet, it is still a thriving industry and rife in modern society. People are trafficked to, from and within the UK for sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude, criminal exploitation, bonded labour and even organ trafficking.
It is a global problem that can affect anyone, regardless of their age, gender and ethnicity.Poverty, limited opportunities at home, lack of education, unstable social and political conditions and economic imbalances are just some of the key drivers that contribute to someone’s vulnerability in becoming a victim of modern slavery.
Identifying the root causes behind slavery helps us to make changes that will prevent vulnerable people from being targeted and exploited, while outreach programs and support systems provide victims of slavery with an opportunity to escape their situation and build a sustainable future.
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 introduced by Theresa May [former UK Prime Minister] brought existing offences into one law and created new duties and powers to protect victims and prosecute offenders of modern slavery.
Victims of slavery and trafficking who have been forced to break the law were protected under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and law courts were granted the power to hand down a maximum life sentence for offenders or to place restrictions on people they believe may commit a human trafficking or slavery offence.
Businesses with an annual turnover of at least £36 million were also required to publish an annual statement setting out the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery within their supply chains. This can include information about modern slavery policies and due diligence processes which includes slavery, forced labour and human trafficking.
Since the new law was introduced there has been a considerable increase in tackling modern slavery offences at every stage; the police are referring more cases to be prosecuted, the Crown Prosecution Service is making more decisions to charge and overall, there are more convictions.
Modern slavery is a serious and often hidden crime which continues to affect people across the UK and the threat has been heavily impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Labour exploitation saw a proportion of the threat being displaced following the closing of public-facing businesses such as nail bars, car washes and restaurants. In response, offenders sought to adopt the non-employer model, placing potential victims into legitimate employment and increasing their takings from rent, fees and wages.
Both domestic servitude and sexual exploitation predominantly occur in a secluded environment, and became even more difficult to detect with national lockdowns. Criminal exploitation, particularly in young persons has continued to increase. Slavery is  the commodification of people for the purpose of exploitation and financial gain and is often hidden in plain sight.We want things cheap things. Are we complicit in the darker elements of humanity that continue to oppress, exploit and humiliate?
 Slavery is often termed an invisible crime, and in many ways the resultant exploitation can be difficult to spot. It is our job, as allies, as colleagues, as friends, as people who want to do the right thing to do better so that the invisible comes into sharp focus. As William Wilberforce said “You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”
Modern slavery is a heinous crime which has no place in our society that often  happens because people are discriminated against, denied their rights and not protected by the law. Let us not stop in our fight against it while changing attitudes, challenging power and to help end the systemic inequality that hampers efforts to bring freedom and justice for everyone, and with small steps lets continue to break the chains that are all around us. 
Climate change is a growing human crisis which is increasingly  forcing impoverished vulnerable people from their homes in search of shelter and work. Consequently adults and children are finding themselves more and more vulnerable to forced labour and sexual exploitation. And millions more will be posed to this kind of slavery in the coming decades if we don't act. 
As world leaders prepare to discuss the human act of climate change at COP26  next month the time to jointly address human rights, the environment and climate change is now : https://www.antislavery.org/antislaveryday-fighting-for-climate-justice/.  And for further information on Anti-Slavery Day go to: