Did you know that over 800,000 individuals are involved in human trafficking each year in the United States alone? Did you know over 2 million women and children are involved in prostitution in India according to United Press International? I was shocked to find this out when I went to the panel discussion on 'Governmental Responses to International Trafficking' organized by Women in International Security on May 14.

One of the panelists was Ruchira Gupta, Executive Director of Apne Aap, a grassroots organization located in the “red light districts” in India aimed at providing women sold into prostitution with the resources to break the generational cycle of prostitution.

Ms. Gupta is the producer of a documentary titled “Selling of Innocence,” which has been dubbed into six languages and won worldwide acclaim based on its honest look at the world of women exploited in brothels of the “red light districts” in India.  During the discussion she told a story about showing the documentary to fathers in villages known for selling their women for $35-$50 to work in Bombay.  After seeing the film, the fathers told her that they had not realized their wives and daughters were being sexually exploited and thought they were going there to get good jobs.  Can you imagine how these fathers felt knowing they had sent their women to this fate?

Another panelist was Leslie Wolfe, President of the Center for Women Policy Studies, an organization that focuses on influencing women’s human rights by proposing policy and legislative changes to address it;

The Center for Women Policy Studies works in partnership with legislators to help them build the policy framework to address trafficking by:
1) criminalize trafficking
2) guarantee protection and services for victims
3) design a state – interagency task force study the nature and extent of trafficking in the state
4) regulate bride trafficking
5) regulate travel service providers

Currently only 27 states have passed trafficking laws.  Later this month, CWPS will issue a report card on state trafficking.  Laws on prostitution and trafficking differ by country however; so much must be done in order to combat this on a global scale.  What can we do as individuals to stop this global attack on human rights and promote equality for all?  Get involved and find out what others are doing to combat human trafficking by clicking on the links at the bottom of the page.

The panel also included: Sarah Devine from Polaris Project, an organization that partners with the United States government in preventing and ceasing all forms of human trafficking and Amy O’Neill Richard, representative of Secretary Condoleeza Rice from the U.S. Department of State.  Ms. O’Neil talked about what the government is doing to prevent human trafficking, protect its victims and punish offenders as part of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000.

Comment below to share your thoughts on this disturbing issue.

What can we do as individuals to stop this global attack on human rights and promote equality for all?  Get involved and find out what others are doing to combat human trafficking by checking out the links below.
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>> LEARN MORE

Polaris Project

U.S. Department of State - Human Trafficking

Center for Women’s Policy Studies

>> GET INVOLVED

Not for Sale Campaign

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration of Children & Families