If you are a survivor of commercial sex trafficking, you’re not alone, as millions of victims are reported every year. Women and young girls account for 99% of victims in the commercial sex industry, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). They are deceptively recruited into the commercial sex trade easily, as establishments such as hotels, cruise ships, casinos, nightclubs, and resorts allow the practice to flourish by turning a blind eye for the sake of profits. This massive criminal enterprise rakes in billions of dollars every year through deceit. Perpetrators may promise a better life, sometimes with the offer of a nonexistent job as a nanny, model, dancer, or waitress. Some women accept these seemingly too-good-to-be-true offers in the hopes of escaping poverty. Regardless of the reason, sex trafficking is a horrific crime that should be punished accordingly.

Forced Labor Schemes

An estimated 21 million people around the world are victims of forced labor, according to the ILO. Sometimes called involuntary servitude or modern-day slavery, it is obtained using force, fraud, or coercion. Individuals who are targeted usually come from a disadvantaged background or other vulnerable group, such as indigent undocumented immigrants or disabled persons. They are forced to work in any variety of skilled or unskilled labor, such as doing domestic work, construction, or agricultural service.