Throughout history, millions of people have been denied basic human rights. In the 21st century it is now known as modern slavery. Modern slavery is “holding someone in forced service, treating people like objects or forcing them to work for little or no compensation with no opportunity to leave their job” (Peter, 1). There is not just one form of slavery, but there are a variety of forms that affect victims equally severely. Modern slavery has become the idea of easy money, selfishness and desperation. One form of modern slavery is sex trafficking. It is known to be “the fastest growing form in the world” (Sukach,1). Sex trafficking is when “someone uses force, fraud, or coercion to provoke a commercial sexual act” (Sharedhope,1). Children, pre-adolescents and women are the most sought after for the sex trade. Approximately “2 million children are exploited in the sex trade globally” (IJM,1). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Victims of sex trafficking experience “being beaten, forcibly injected with narcotics” (IJM,1), and being emotionally drained. An example of sex trafficking comes from Nayantara. She was naive and accepted a job offer from someone she met at work and was then "forced to have sex with 35 men every day with only 5 hours of sleep" (USDEPOFSTATE). She was beaten with an iron pole when she refused to have sex and was not allowed to contact her family. His story is one in millions. There are many social factors that contribute to the existence of sex trafficking, but some differ depending on the location. Some of the factors involved in sex trafficking are “influenced by social, economic, and cultural issues” (454). The victims do not only come from poverty backgrounds, but also from financially stable people. It is most popular in “countries with weak justice systems, where offenders know they are unlikely to face significant consequences” (IJM, 1). Sex trafficking won't disappear just because it's illegal, but it could decline if countries adopt harsher punishments. Furthermore, in third world countries equality for women should be pursued in the fields of work and education. In some third world countries, women are prevented from getting an education and jobs, making them vulnerable to sex traffickers. Sex traffickers tend to lie to their victims by promising them “protection, home and opportunity” (Sharedhope,1). This leaves them with no choice but to escape the situation they find themselves in, to try to have a “better future” for themselves. they are naive about the resulting consequences. Just as victims are lured into sex trafficking, the need for money makes families and individuals vulnerable to debt bondage. Getting involved in debt slavery can be done easily in less developed countries where people need basic necessities. Economic factors in these countries contribute to the existence of debt slavery by families and people in general. Debt bondage “occurs when people give themselves into bondage as security against a loan or when they inherit a debt from a relative” (1). Whether it is because someone is repaying a loan or has inherited it, trying to repay the loan is made impossible. Victims of debt slavery end up working in brutal conditions and excessive working hours. It is known that “50% of the 24.9 million people forced into forced labor are slaves ofdebt” (Cock). In several countries, debt slavery is a constantly occurring trend. An example is India, where “836 million Indians live on less than 50 cents a day” (EndSlaveryNow,1). This causes the victims to stay with their "owner" so that they can have food, shelter and, ultimately, a life. With all the sources they are getting, the person they owe the money piles it on top of the debt they already have. Victims of debt bondage could escape the situation if they knew their rights and if the government also enforced them. These victims only rely on what they know and do not make an effort to find possible opportunities due to threats, etc. It could “involve international pressure on the government to act, possibly with international assistance made available to ensure that victims of forced labor are adequately rehabilitated.” (Dottridge,1). Even though victims of debt bondage are overworked for the money they owe, they can have shelter, food, and clothing. Some of these things they wouldn't have access to because of the amount of money they don't have. Children are often vulnerable to the idea of having money when all they know is poverty. Child labor is defined as “work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and which is harmful to their physical and mental development” (ILO). There are situations where children are subjected to intensive labor because their family is involved in debt slavery. But there are also occasions when children are forced to do these jobs because they were lured or are simply trying to help their family. “More than 200 million children today are child workers” (TheWorldCounts). Some of these children are engaged in dangerous work on farms and factories. The jobs children do have a huge impact on their physical and mental health. Children lose the opportunity of education, childhood and their entire lives. The reason why child labor is still occurring is due to the demand for various items in developing and developed countries. Child labor is cheaper than adult labor, as owners want more children to do this work. Children tend to be naive and do many things that an adult would not agree to do. One of the ways you can reduce consumers of products made with child labor is to not buy products made by children. One way to understand what wasn't created by children is to look for fair trade products, because “fair trade products are made without the use of child labor” (Theworldcounts). When we consumers of products made with child labor, we become part of the reason why child labor is still happening. When the demand for such products were to decrease, children would stop being used to make that product. Even though child labor is not right, children manage to raise some kind of money to help themselves. Something they couldn't do without the work. Another form of modern slavery is forced marriages. Forced marriage occurs when “individuals are not given the opportunity to refuse or are promised and married to another by parents, guardians, relatives or other groups” (Endalaverynow,1). Forced marriages can be found in developed countries, but are mostly found in developing countries. Economic and cultural factors influence forced marriages in developing countries, due to the need for money and strong cultural beliefs. People who agree with forced marriage consider it a “family matter”.
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