Modern Slavery Myth Busters 2
Join Fuzz and Carolyn Kitto in this episode as we continue the exploration of modern slavery by debunking common myths.
MYTH #3: Modern slavery is mostly in sectors like sex trafficking.
While sex trafficking is a visible aspect, it constitutes only a fraction of modern slavery. Forced marriage, for example, makes up a significant portion, affecting millions globally. We share the story of Jasvinda Sagara, who escaped a forced marriage and now advocates for others in similar situations.
MYTH #4: Modern slavery doesn’t impact me
Modern slavery touches all our lives through the products we consume. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear and the electronics we use, many everyday items have supply chains tainted by modern slavery. Australians, for instance, import billions of dollars worth of products at risk of being produced under such conditions.
MYTH #5: Modern slavery only impacts poverty stricken, unskilled, desperate people.
While poverty and desperation do heighten vulnerability, modern slavery also affects educated and skilled individuals. For instance, some university graduates are trafficked into scam centers, exploiting their technical skills. Modern slavery spans all demographics and regions, driven by factors like conflict and economic hardship.
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In the last podcast, we looked at the myths that slavery no longer exists and found out that more slaves in the world now than any other point of human history. Then we look at the second myth, which was that modern slavery happens only in developing countries, not in Australia, and saw that it was quite prevalent in a number of sectors within Australia, and it happens in every country around the world.
Carolyn Kitto
So let's be reminded again what modern slavery is. First of all, slavery traditionally, has been defined as the status or condition of a person over which the powers of ownership are applied. When the Declaration of Human Rights came into this into being, it stated that no one shall be held in slavery or servitude, slavery and slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. In 2000, the trafficking or Palermo protocol was developed as a supplement to the document of the UN Convention against transnational organised crime. It came up with an agreed definition. That criminalised trafficking in purpose persons, which was described as being for the purpose of exploitation, through deception, and coercion. And at a minimum, the exploitation of prostitution of others, or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery, or practices similar to slavery, servitude, or the removal of the list.
Fuzz Kitto
Let’s look at a few more myths that we discovered. And myth three is modern slavery is mostly in sectors like the sex trafficking was excellent exploitation makes up probably under About 9.5% of modern slavery around the world. But of those 99% of females, and only 1% of males. Often they are tricked and or forced into the sex industry, while many others also sexually abused in the workplaces that they get trafficked into. What many people don't realise is that forced marriage makes up around 44% of modern slavery.
Carolyn Kitto
Let me tell you the story of our friend Jasvinda Sagara, which is quite typical. In her words…
I'm one of seven sisters, and there's only one younger than me. So I'd watched my sisters being married at a very young age, as young as 15. They would disappear to become a wife, and go to India, come back, and not go to school, and then go into these marriages and be physically and psychologically abused. And my impression of marriage was that this is what happens to you, you get married, you get beaten up, and then you're told you have to stay there. I was shown a photograph of this man when I was 14 years old, knowing that I'd been promised to him from the age of eight, and was being expected to contemplate marriage. I was brought up in the UK, and I looked at this picture thinking, well, he's shorter than me. He's very much older than me. And I don't want this. Saying no to the marriage meant my family took me out of education. And they held me prisoner in my own home. I was 15. And I was locked in a room. And I was literally not allowed to leave the room until I agreed to the marriage. It was padlocked on the outside. And I had to knock on the door to go to the toilet. And they brought my food to the door. I planned and eventually, I executed my escape. My parents reported me missing to the police. And it was the police officer who found me that told me that I had to ring home to let them know, I was safe and well. My mother answered the phone and said, I said Mom, it's me. You know, I want to come home, but I don't want to marry that stranger. Her response has stayed with me for the rest of my life. She said, you either come back and marry who we say, or from this day forward, you are now dead in our eyes.
For Jasvinda, fleeing her home and that she embarked on a challenging path of independence and self reliance, she faced numerous obstacles, from financial struggles to socialisation at social isolation, which she from which she sought to build a new life for herself, free from the constraints and restrictions imposed upon her. As a survivor of forced marriage. She then turned advocate, and has dedicated her life to empowering others and breaking the silence of issue of issues of forced marriage and honour based abuse. She has become a beacon of hope for countless individuals navigating the challenging journey of escaping sports circumstances, and rebuilding their lives.
Fuzz Kitto
The global slavery index states the ability to freely choose who, when and whether to marry is an essential human rights enforced marriage still occurs in almost every country globally, an estimated 22 million people were living in a forced marriage in any given day, when two statistics were done in 2021. This estimate is conservative UNICEF estimates that there are 650 million people, women and girls who were forced into marriage before the age of 18. While men, men and boys lost men and boys are also forced to marry. Women and girls remain disproportionately at risk and account for 68% of all people forced to marriage. Well, almost two thirds of all forced marriages occur in the Asian Pacific region. The highest prevalence of forced marriage is in the Arab states. Despite this forced marriage risks are present in all countries, and are often exacerbated. For members of marginalised groups. Australia's biggest touch point with modern slavery, though is in the products that we import.
Carolyn Kitto
So let's go to the fourth myth. The myth is modern slavery doesn't impact me. Well, globally, nearly one in every 150 People are in modern slavery, and modern slavery impacts every region of the world. As we said, more than half are women and children living in modern slavery in Asia and the Pacific region. That's 29 point 3 million. This is where most of our key trading partners and our and we import the commodities that we buy. modern slavery can be found in the food we eat, such as chocolate seafood, fresh and can produce for starters, the clothes we wear, mobile phones, computers we use, and the cars we drive and buildings we work and live in. This means modern slavery impacts the lives of all Australians. It is estimated that we import to $26 billion worth of products at risk of modern slavery in the supply chain. Things like electronics, garments, solar panels, textiles, and seafood, are at highest risk of being produced with modern slavery, as well as some goods that are made in Australia.
Fuzz Kitto
So myth number five is modern slavery only impacts poverty stricken, unskilled, and desperate people. Well, it's undeniable that poverty plays the most significant role in fueling modern slavery, and puts people at risk of being vulnerable, drives them to take risks, that puts them into danger of modern slavery. When you are desperate, when you are trying to work out how you're going to survive, risks are taken. And those risks make people vulnerable, because they will do anything to try and get money for themselves or their families or their extended families to survive. The other factor that creates vulnerability to modern slavery is conflict and refugees and with internal displacement persons, which means that they are within the country and go to another place because of war or conflict. traffickers are Coming into refugee camps and falsely offering opportunities for jobs for people to get them out. And in desperate situation like that, who would not want to try anything to get out of those situations that they find themselves in, in the poverty of the refugee camp. However, there is a concerning trend that is emerging where it's not just those people who are desperate and in countries which are underdeveloped, but individuals who have ambitions, strive for a better future, and both for themselves and their families. And they are falling victim to modern slavery as well. And disturbing example, is the trafficking of university graduates into scam centres, where they are coerced into using their technical skills to scam money out of people like you and me.
Well, we hope that gives you some more insights as we bust some of the myths and unravelled slavery, just a little bit more for you. This has been Fuzz and Carolyn Kitto for Be slavery free.