The Abolition of Slavery: 2017 Myth or Reality?

Article by Clayton Blackman (continued from Page 1)

The ILO states that an estimated 40.3 million people are in modern slavery, which includes 24.9 million in forced labor and 15.4 million in forced marriage. There are 5.4 million victims of modern slavery for every 1,000 people in the world. One in 4 of the victims of modern slavery are children. Out of the 24.9 million people trapped in forced labor, 16 million are exploited in the private sector as domestic workers, construction or agricultural. 4.8 are forced in sexual exploitation and 4 million are forced labor imposed by state authorities. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by forced labor, accounting for 99 percent of victims in the commercial sex industry.

The figures stated above by the ILO cannot be disputed as we are quite familiar with the problems faced by domestic workers in Trinidad and Tobago, in particular in some familiar areas such as: Murray Street, Kings Wharf and Curepe Junction. There have been numerous reports of human trafficking and child labor made to the Police within recent times

This actually brings us to the point of whether slavery has actually evolved in time from chattel to a better organized industry where individuals have been able to move from rags to riches as the slave masters did in the 18th and 19th centuries. Globalization, technology and institutionalization are current factors for the flourishing “SLAVERY INDUSTRY”. Victims of slavery are entrapped as their ancestors were four hundred years ago. Evidence of slavery today have discredited the mythical notion and shows that it is nothing more than a reality.

The observation of the day to recognize the existence of slavery by the United Nations of Trinidad and Tobago (UNATT) and by extension the United Nations (UN) is intended to educate and bring about awareness to those of us who might be enslaved and lack the knowledge.

Remember December 2nd and share the knowledge.