Dec
13
2012
Supply and Demand Fuels Human Trafficking
Melissa Empower Women 0
Ruchira Gupta, founder of Apne Aap, explains how human trafficking and prostitution are a supply and demand driven business in a recent article on The Guardian. Hear more from Ruchira in the videos above. “It’s a system based on supply and demand. The supply is formed by marginalised women and girls, who have very little choice, so traffickers take advantage of their vulnerabilities. Demand is based on pimps and johns, those who take advantage of the lack of choice these girls have,” she says. “On the demand side my organisation tries to get pimps into jail and tries toRead more
Oct
23
2012
High Stakes for Women Around the World
Melissa Empower Women 0
When I was a kid, I sometimes got made fun of on the bus. I think pretty much everyone did. It was never anything extreme, but I knew that on the bus it was best to keep quiet and try not to get noticed. But the stakes are much higher for girls in Afghanistan: “The walk from home to school is—and has always been—the most dangerous part,” Arbabzadah said. “You are told to stay covered, keep your head down and walk quickly … and stare at your toes.” … Some girls have been maimed by acid attacks. Others have hadRead more
Sep
04
2012
The Plight of Women in India–and How You Can Help
Melissa Empower Women 0
India often makes news for its efforts to empower women, including it’s rule that 50 percent of leaders in local government must be female; but Amnesty International lists India as the worst place in the G20 for women. The article describes challenges women face at every stage of life. After we look at the challenges women face, we’ll look at group that’s working to empower women—and how you can get involved. Some of India’s provinces have among the most extreme male-to-female sex ratios in the world. In Mumbai, one of the world’s financial capitals, where only 860 girls are bornRead more
May
03
2012
Walmart and IKEA Work to Empower Women
Melissa Empower Women, Ethical Fashion 0
If you’ve read much about ethical fashion and empowering women, you’re probably surprised to hear good things about Walmart and IKEA. Big box stores are notorious for having a detrimental effect on the environment and people. (Learn more about ethical fashion.) But here’s some good news. “US retail giant Wal-Mart has launched a special training programme for more than 60,000 female workers at 150 of its supplier factories in India, Bangladesh, China and Central America,” according to Just-Style. And “The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) … has partnered with IKEA Foundation in a project that aims to help buildRead more
Mar
22
2012
Everyday Abolitionist: Kristin Braddock
Melissa Everyday Abolitionist 0
Everyday Abolitionist is a recurring feature on the blog where we’ll hear firsthand from someone using their skills, talents, and opportunities to fight trafficking. This time around we have Kristin Braddock who works with Apne Aap. Read about more Everyday Abolitionists. According to UNICEF, as many as two million children are subjected to prostitution in the global commercial sex trade every year. Sex trafficking has devastating consequences for the victim including long-lasting physical and psychological trauma, diseases (including HIV/AIDS), drug addictions, unwanted pregnancies, malnutrition, ostracism, and possible death. Sex trafficking is a global issue that affects every country and victimizesRead more
Jan
19
2012
Fair Trade Clothes: Conquering the Conscious Consumer Challenge
Melissa Fair Trade 2
It’s no secret many (if not most) of the people who harvest the fibers for our clothes, weave the cloth, and sew the final product aren’t paid fairly. The more I learn about unfair labor the more I’m convinced: I need to seriously rethink my consumption. I’m reading a book called Friendship at the Margins. One of the authors, Chris Heuertz, international director of Word Made Flesh, tells about how he was visiting the home of some his friends in India. His friends are poor, and the mother and daughters all work constantly to scrape by. The daughters work inRead more
Jan
17
2012
Human Trafficking in the News
Melissa Trafficking News & Information 0
I’m constantly online scouting out news and information on human trafficking. This recurring feature on the blog will showcase some of the most interesting and pertinent news. I’ll begin with the bad news, but I always find more good news than bad. More people are fighting trafficking, more laws are being passed, and more traffickers are going to jail. Thank you for being part of the good news about trafficking! BAD NEWS (Hang on! There’s good news coming!) “Human Trafficking: FIA to Probe Fake Visa Case Involving British Council” from the Express Tribune. It’s tough to tell exactly who’s atRead more
Aug
18
2011
Everyday Abolitionist: Diana Scimone
Emily Books & Resources, Everyday Abolitionist, Survivor Stories, Trafficking News & Information 1
Writer and abolitionist Diana Scimone recently had an article published on Reject Apathy and I thought it fit in very well with our Everyday Abolitionist theme on the STF blog. (Read more of our Everyday Abolitionist posts here). In the article she writes about the picture that changed her life and her journey to figure out how she could make a difference. Here is an excerpt, but I definitely recommend reading the whole article. Everywhere I went it was as if God had a big clipboard and was crossing off everything He wasn’t calling me to do. I’m not a social worker.Read more