World Social Justice Day

Social Justice is a driving force in my work and it piques my personal interest and intellectual and emotional responses to the disadvantage experienced by people because of gender, religion, ethnicity, colour, disability, poverty and social and economic discrimination.  Today is World Social Justice Day and marks the sixth year 20th February has been recognised as a day to promote Social Justice globally.  Every year carries a particular focus and 2015 has been identified as the year to turn the spotlight on human trafficking and forced labour.

Facts about human trafficking and forced labour

1. Human trafficking represented an estimated $31.6 billion of international trade per annum in 2010 and is thought to be one of the fastest-growing activities of trans-national criminal organisations.
2. Of those exploited by individuals or enterprises, 4.5 million are victims of forced sexual exploitation.
3. Almost 21 million people are victims of forced labour – 11.4 million women and girls and 9.5 million men and boys.
4. Domestic work, agriculture, construction, manufacturing and entertainment are among the sectors most concerned with forced labour.
5. Migrant workers and indigenous people are particularly vulnerable to forced labour.
6. An estimated 30,000 victims of sex trafficking die each year from abuse, disease, torture, and neglect.
7. The total number of child labourers remains high, with Unicef and the International Labour Organisation acknowledging an estimated 168 million children aged five to 17 are involved worldwide.
8. Several countries rank high as source countries for human trafficking, including Belarus, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Albania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania, China, Thailand, and Nigeria.
   (Sourced from here).

 

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