Human Trafficking — David Okech
HUMAN TRAFFICKING, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND SOCIAL WORK David Okech, MSW, PhD Associate Professor
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he trafficking of persons around the world, also known as modern day slavery, is a serious violation of human rights and a manifestation of social injustice. Human trafficking is defined as “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or [sex] services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, [sexual exploitation] or slavery” (U. S. Department of State, 2000). It is caused by micro- and macro-level factors: macro-level factors include economic injustice, poverty, wars and natural disasters, globalization of the consumer market, discrimination against women, and global sex tourism. Microlevel risk factors include family breakdown, poor family relations, child abuse and neglect, mental illness and substance use among parents, and homelessness among children (Roby, 2005). Though valid and reliable trafficking data remain a challenge and born of contention, a recent report estimated that 24.9 million individuals around the world are currently victims of some form of trafficking. These men, women and children are exploited in economic activities such as agriculture, fishing, domestic work, construction,
manufacturing and the commercial sex industry (IOL, 2017). Although the majority of victims are trafficked across international borders, 42% are victimized within their own countries (UNODC, 2016). Trafficking disproportionately affects women and children-of the current global victims, 71% are female and 28% are children (UNODC, 2016). The Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers affirms the profession’s responsibility to pursue social change and human rights, particularly on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed people, and toward the liberation of all people. Similarly, the Council on Social Work Education maintains that “social work’s purpose is actualized through its quest for social and economic justice, the prevention of conditions that limit human rights, the elimination of poverty, and the enhancement of the quality of life for all persons” (CSWE, 2015). A social work perspective on the issue of human trafficking is therefore critical in antitrafficking efforts, not only because of the professional guiding principles and values, but also because of the holistic nature of social work interventions with oppressed populations.
SOCIAL JUSTICE WANTED | 2020-2021
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