Stop Human Trafficking—What You Can Do

Around the world, individuals and organizations are raising awareness about trafficking and slavery, and working to end it forever. Below are some ideas for ensuring that women and girls live free from violence and slavery.

         Learn More

Stay Informed. Sign up to receive email alerts about sex trafficking and slavery worldwide.

Find out about sex trafficking in your community and country. Search local newspapers, magazines and the Internet for articles about trafficking and slavery in your area. Use keywords like trafficking, prostitution, pornography, slavery, sex worker or pimp. Talk with university professors specializing in relevant fields, such as women’s studies or criminal justice. Finally, talk with police officers and social service providers to learn what they are doing to end slavery.

         Educate Others

• Create awareness kits using information from this meeting.

• Learn as much as you can and share that information with your friends and family. Create kits and hand them out to everyone you know.

• Hold a meeting. Get a group of interested people together to discuss human trafficking.

• Reach out. Write articles, editorials and letters to the editor and send them to local newspapers and magazines.

• Contact the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ( http://www.unodc.org/ ). The UNODC launched a global human trafficking awareness campaign and has joined forces with partners in more 40 countries to produce customized versions of video spots. Find out about showing them in your community and connecting with local partners.

         Support Groups Working to End Sex Trafficking and Slavery

Find out more about what Soroptimist clubs in your local area are doing to end sex trafficking and slavery.

Reach out to other organizations. Volunteer to help organizations working to end sex trafficking and slavery of women and girls.

         Advocate for Stronger Laws and Enforcement

Advocate for stronger laws and enforcement in your community and county. It is the obligation of states to protect women and to end slavery. Find out what your elected representatives are doing to end slavery.

Use international laws. The UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, which supplements the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, in effect since December 2003, makes human trafficking a crime. Thus far, 148 countries have ratified the protocol but few have taken steps to implement it. Governments that have ratified the protocol are responsible to act with good faith to prevent, investigate and punish any violation of rights recognized by these treaties. Find out if your county has ratified the protocol and if they are enforcing it.

Target law enforcement. Police officers are often the first involved when a woman is rescued. Contact your local law enforcement to find out what the protocol is for dealing with victims of slavery.

         Report Suspected Incidents of Trafficking

In the United States, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center’s 24- hour toll-free hotline number at 888-3737-888. Callers can receive a number of services including crisis intervention, urgent and non-urgent referrals, tip reporting and comprehensive anti-trafficking resources.

         Donate

Even the smallest gift makes it possible for Soroptimist to continue to raise awareness about sex trafficking of women and girls. Poverty is one condition rendering women and girls vulnerable to trafficking. Soroptimist works to end poverty and create opportunities for women throughout the world.