The International Labour Organization estimates that of the 20.9 million people in human trafficking, 14.2 million are victims of forced labor, as compared to 4.5 million in sex trafficking. Yet sex trafficking captures a hugely disproportionate amount of public focus. This narrow representation of human trafficking leads to severely imbalanced responses. Sex trafficking is an important issue that warrants special attention, but not to the exclusion of the plight of the estimated 14.2 million people in forced labor.
How not to talk about human trafficking
Human trafficking is a complicated problem that can be difficult to discuss appropriately and sensitively. But as we've seen after the Somaly Mam case, the discourse of human trafficking has real impacts on anti-trafficking efforts and on trafficking victims and survivors.
4. Do not ignore forced labor
