27 August, 2008

Common Language

I have a confession to make...

In this thing called trafficking I tend to forget it's not all about sex. A large percentage of it is to be sure, but there are many people forced to work in fields harvesting stuffs, and nannies without compensations, or Cinderellas who don't have a prince and will never see the ball.

Trafficking is real and it's becoming more prevalent as our world becomes more apathetic about it. It's accepted and joked about that clothing and jewelry and shoes are made in sweatshops by children.

I was at a fundraiser recently and someone asked about labor trafficking specifically in terms of clothing - and the speaker, a major force in DC for anti-trafficking work, basically said that trafficking in the garment industry is too ingrained and too big therefore they (his organization) aren't even going to deal with it.

What?!?!?

It's too big and scary so let's stick with sex trafficking (because that's not walking into hell everyday).

Those five and six year old sowing Victoria Secret underwear and Gap jeans need just as many advocates and just as much protection as the ten year old being prostituted in India (or DC).

We can't stop fighting because it's scary - nor can we forget that there are others who suffer slavery beyond the sex industry.