January Is Human Trafficking Awareness Month

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month.  Human trafficking is when children, woman, and men are forced to perform duties such as prostitution, sex tourism, domestic servitude, factory work, migrant farming, and other tasks.  At any given time around the world, 3 out of 1,000 people are trapped in forced labor (UnicefUsa.org).  What you may not realize is that human trafficking is very alive here in our own backyard - America, and reported in all 50 states.  Prostitution controlled by pimps is just one of the forms of human trafficking going on in America.

Trafficking of children
is a grave violation of
their rights, robbing
them of their childhood,
their well-being, and
the opportunity to reach
their full potential. No
country is untouched by
human trafficking as a
source, transit point, or
destination.
-- Dr. Susan Bissell Chief

Did you know that some of the products we buy are harvested or produced by those confined to slave labor?  Goods that have the highest rates of being produced by child laborers include coffee, sugarcane, cotton, rice, tobacco, cocoa, and more.  Buying fair trade certified products helps guarantee that you are buying ethically produced goods.  You can read more about fair trade certified good at the UnicefUSA.org website.

Angie Harmon partners up with UNICEF to end human trafficking!

How You Can Help End Human Trafficking:

* Post the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-3737-888) around you neighborhood, school, workplace, and even on your blog/website to spread the word

* Visit SlaveryFootprint.org to see how many products slaves have had a hand in producing that you may use in your daily life

* Make a decision to switch to Fair Trade Certified goods

* Join or organize a walk in your community to raise awareness and funds to end human trafficking

* Advocate for state laws addressing human trafficking.  Visit Change.org and sign a petition or two on their human trafficking page.

* Make a donation through the UNICEF website

* For more ideas visit: unicefusa.org/endtrafficking

* Disclosure:  This post was written on behalf of my partnership with Mom Bloggers for Social Good and Global Team of 200.  I received no form of compensation for this post.  It's all for social good!  :)