Young women, even girls as young as five years old, are trafficked to meet the demand of the global sex-trafficking industry. Some are kidnapped, some are lured with the promise of jobs, some are sold by their parents. They are abused physically and emotionally until they are broken and no longer have the will to fight against the demands of their master.
Around the world, children between the ages of 3-17 are being used in military campaigns by both rebel groups and government forces. According to the Human Rights Watch (July 2007) an estimated 200,000-300,000 children are subjected to the horrifically violent life of a child soldier.
In countries where the average person is subsisting on less than $1 per day, many people fall prey to human traffickers who lure them with the promise of a job. Unfortunately they end up as slave labor - forced to do everything from domestic servanthood to hard manual labor.
Unfortunately corruption is not uncommon in law enforcement and governments where trafficking is rampant. They are bribed or "provided services" in exchange for looking the other way.
In some countries girls are seen as less valuable and are, therefore, more likely to be sold into trafficking or domestic servitude.
Unable to read, job options are limited and young adults are more apt to be lured into trafficking with the promise of jobs.
Few know the truth about the trafficking crisis and many that do, simply turn a blind eye.
Global markets and governmental subsidies have resulted in small farmers and manufacturers unable to compete and sustain their businesses and families, making them far more susceptible to debt bondage and slavery.
As people migrate to the cities for better access to jobs, medical care and education, they find no opportunities at hand. Settling in slum areas, they become prone to the charms and trickery of traffickers or are often left with no choice but to sell a family member in order to survive.
Developing-world infrastructure and services has been unable to keep up with the pace of population growth, leaving many people vulnerable and without hope.
In countries often torn apart by internal conflict and strife, children are kidnapped and forced to be child soldiers or trafficked to fund the needs of independent militias.
