Talitha Kum calls for urgent action to protect victims of human trafficking

By Abby Avelino*

Every year, on 30 July, Talitha Kum joins the annual United Nations campaign for the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. This year's theme is "Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking." Children are at the centre and call on each of us to protect them and keep them from becoming victims of trafficking. Due to cultural, social and economic inequalities, children and women are particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon and to exploitation.

I wish to share the story of Karim, who is 11 years old, lives in Lebanon, and works with a carpenter in very difficult conditions that require the use of heavy and dangerous tools. He works hard to earn the equivalent of $0.55 a week. He is often beaten and locked in the bathroom for hours. He is mentally and physically abused by his employer practically every day. But Karim's story is not unique. We often hear about these sad realities in many parts of the world, especially among those living in extreme poverty. Karim's suffering thus mirrors that of millions of children. According to the latest report of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), 152 million children between the ages of five and 17 are victims of child labour. Furthermore, about one in three of the world's trafficking victims is a child, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Trafficking in Persons Report. The different forms of this specific form of violence include exploitation in forced labour, early and forced marriage, criminality, begging, trafficking for illegal adoptions, abuse and sexual exploitation, also online.

The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as other ongoing conflicts, have led to increased risks of abuse at various levels. Children who are unaccompanied or separated from their families, including those evacuated from childcare facilities, are particularly vulnerable. Another trend, according to the Global Slavery Index 2023 report is ‘orphanage trafficking,’ described as the recruitment of children into residential care institutions for profit and exploitation. Traffickers also use technology and the web to advertise and sell children for sexual exploitation online and for the distribution of child sexual abuse material.

In this context new challenges emerge in preventing and combating trafficking. Strategic collaboration is needed, especially with law enforcement agencies that have expertise in combating trafficking in persons through technology and online monitoring platforms. Urgent action is needed to protect the most vulnerable groups from exploitation, especially children, and support is needed for child victims of trafficking.

Pope Francis encourages us to open our eyes and ears: "It is essential to listen to those who are suffering. I think of the victims of wars and conflicts, those affected by climate change, those forced to migrate, and those, especially women and children, who are exploited sexually or in the workplace. May we listen to their cry for help and feel challenged by the stories they tell," he wrote last February in his message for the annual World Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking.

We in the Talitha Kum international networks, women religious and young ambassadors around the world, organise events and campaigns to raise awareness and prevent trafficking using various actions: in presence, online (a few months ago we also launched the "Walking in Dignity" app), on TV and radio, with street campaigns, in social media, inviting everyone to join the #EndingHumanTrafficking and #LeaveNoChildBehind mobilisations.

Talitha Kum is an international network of religious and lay people committed to stopping human trafficking. We work in many different places around the world to prevent this phenomenon. Our approach aims to educate vulnerable young people and raise awareness of human trafficking, especially that targeting women and girls, migrants and refugees, and people at risk of human trafficking and exploitation. In 2023, 623,700 people were involved in the prevention efforts.

As we observe the worrying trends and developments in trafficking, we try to mobilise the attention of a wide range of stakeholders. For example, throughout this month, we have been sharing on our media channels testimonies from those who participated in Talitha Kum's second general assembly last May, whose 15th anniversary is this year. "Compassion in Action for Transformation" marked the theme of our General Assembly when we confirmed our commitment to three priorities over the next five years: addressing systemic change at all levels, deepening the holistic survivor-centred approach, and expanding collaboration and networking. With the Call to Action, Talitha Kum advocates for a shift in the prevailing paradigm towards legal, social and economic justice for victims of trafficking, survivors and those at risk of falling into the traps of traffickers and exploiters. Many victims and survivors remind us of the need to establish rules and regulations that support the prosperity of men and women as persons and members of their communities. But above all, this involves promoting a culture of dignity and an economy of care.

We dream of a world without human trafficking. This is an appeal that must involve all of society, government and Church leaders at all levels, as well as each and every one of us. We must protect the most vulnerable, especially children, from exploitation, and support child victims of trafficking. We are all called to be ambassadors of hope. Together, our actions have the power to transform lives with compassion and create a world free from human trafficking.

*Maryknoll Dominican Sister, International Coordinator of Talitha Kum