day 14 - target the roots through education

Happy pi day :) I know it looks strange, but I wore my math league jersey with the dress today. Switchin’ things up, I guess…

Here's a number: did you know that 80% of trafficking victims are female, and of these, 70% are sold into sexual slavery? Conditions for many of these victims are terrible: Girls may be locked in cages and forbidden to leave the premises. Many are beaten into submission on a daily basis, and some are even threatened with death if they run away.

Governments have enacted serious effort in reducing the amount of sex trafficking in their cities. For example, the number of prostitutes in Mumbai fell 83% over a few years as a result of governments taking the issue seriously, not just looking the other way. This isn’t even as big a feat as it sounds: If the government punishes a few, others are reluctant to pursue it for fear they will also be punished.

The United States established itself as a leader in addressing the issue by mandating the 2000 Trafficking in Persons report. It prompted consideration by those governments that were ranked poorly – simply by establishing a firm stance against trafficking and putting pressure on those countries to change their practices.

But even if you pull off the tops of the weeds, even pull out the strongest stems, the roots still remain. The same goes with prostitution: though government crackdowns have made significant progress in reducing the number of brothels (and more so, girls trafficked and sold into forced prostitution), we need to target the roots. How can we do this?

The answer is in education. Target the roots of the problem, and the problem will diminish on its own. Provide an education to girls, especially the ones that can’t afford it and consequently, are more at risk for being trafficked – and you’ll stop the perpetuation of sex trafficking and forced prostitution before it starts in another generation.

Sex trafficking seems like a big social problem to conquer, but an education truly allows women to become resources, not in brothels, as they might have been; but in their communities, enacting positive change that has effects hundreds of times over.

Please consider making a charitable donation to help give girls an education in rural Africa.
Donate: Campaign for Female Education

Janna