Tag Archives: trafficking

What’s Your Slavery Footprint? Take The Test And Find Out!

Julie GersteinMay 21, 2013 //
Fast Fashion
Let's talk about Forever 21 and other fast fashion retailers. Read More »
Compassionate Fashion
Dresses from sustainable designer Karen Kane. Read More »
Ethical Clothing?
Clothing Rack
Would you be more likely to buy clothes with an "ethical" label? Read More »
My Slavery Footprint

When we think of slavery, most Americans likely consider the slave history of our own country. We relegate slavery to the past, believing that such a barbaric concept couldn’t ever exist in our current world.

We were wrong.

Slavery is alive and well, and happening in more places than you think. There are 27 million slaves in the world today, involved in a variety of industries and in a multitude of countries. There’s the forced prostitution and trafficking of women around the world; the men forced to work in the copper, diamond and coltan mines in the Congo; and the trafficked migrant workers of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

But that’s just a fraction of the slave and indentured labor that happens all over the world, employed to create products and services we use every day. Keep reading »

15-Year-Old Girls Charged With Running A Prostitution Ring

Julie GersteinJune 12, 2012 //
Military Trafficking
The military's dirty human trafficking secret. Read More »
McNugget Prostitution
Woman tried to exchange bjs for nuggets. Read More »
On Sex Work & Feminism
Actress Billie Piper talks about sex work and feminism. Read More »

Well, this is sad/infuriating: Two 15-year-old girls in Ottawa, Canada, have been charged with human trafficking after they forced several other underage girls into prostitution. The victims were between the ages of 13 and 17, and were allegedly driven to various locations by the two girls and their 17-year-old accomplice. Aside from the young age of the girls, Ottawa police say they’re shocked that the offenses occurred in a quiet, middle class neighborhood.

According to affadavits, there were no men involved in the trafficking ring. “We don’t know about any further incidents,” said Staff Sgt. John McGetrick.. “But if there are, we want women out there to know that they can some see us and we’ll work with them and help them out. We’d love to help them.”

The girls face charges of human trafficking, procuring, forcible confinement, assault, sexual assault, robbery, abduction and uttering threats. [National Post]

Laura Ling And Euna Lee’s Story Emerges

Ami AngelowiczJune 10, 2009 //

I can’t stop thinking about how insane it is that journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced to 12 years in a North Korean labor camp for committing a still undefined crime. President Obama has promised to stop at nothing to get them released, but still—if I ever took my freedom for granted, I won’t anymore. What did these women do? Did they cross the Chinese border into North Korea illegally? Were they being used as bargaining chips in a U.N. debate? All we know is that they were chasing a human rights story for Current TV. Now the details of the story they were tracking are finally starting to emerge.
Keep reading »