Later that morning we walked over to a coffee house we liked. We hunkered down with a couple of lattes, and I started reading it. It was my turn to be glued to the page. It was riveting.
Written by award-winning Canadian journalist Malarek, it reports on the recent wave of global sex trafficking since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. It is a well-researched book filled with horrific examples of dehumanizing treatment of young women, some as young as twelve years old:.
- Somewhere between eight and nine hundred thousand impoverished young women are lured with promises of legitimate jobs throughout western Europe and America, only to find themselves trapped into a life of prostitution.
- The Russian Mafia is a driving force in the sex slave industry. But they are not the only ones to blame. Even NATO and UN peacekeepers living in Bosnia after the war were known to be serviced by sex slaves. Those who should be rescuing them--local police and international peacekeepers--are doing little or nothing to rescue them.
- Sex slaves are the third most lucrative commodity after guns and drugs.
After we read that book, we couldn't get enough of books and movies on the topic. But then we realized it was time to put down the book and do something about it.
However, if you are unfamiliar with the topic, I would recommend a more recent documentary on the subject. It's a movie called Tricked, released in 2013. It's important because it brings the issue very close to home. Like USA home. When you watch it, you can't pretend the industry is just limited to the Russian mob and other crime organizations. No, it's an American industry. As long as we pretend prostitution is a tolerable evil or even a legitimate career choice here in the United States, we will continue to condemn the lives of many young men and women to a life of hell.
How have you experienced the abuse of power? What enslaves you?
Yes, I have experienced the abuse of power. I was abused by a family member for many years both physically and sexually. It's not something I like to talk about, but neither am I ashamed of it.
I will be forever grateful to those who helped me find freedom from what did enslave me--nightmares, flashbacks, dissociation, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, fear of intimacy, chronic pelvic pain.
Does my past still enslave me? Yes it does, the way an ache might remind you of the original war wound.
And believe me, what I went through was absolutely nothing compared to what those sold into slavery experience.
What other options are available for young women?
Since we were made of this problem, John and I have contributed regularly to International Justice Mission. This is one of many organizations that combats human trafficking, and helps to rescue and rehabilitate victims of the sex trade. They recognize that the cycle of poverty is largely the cause for trafficking. They offer a number of ways to get involved, but we have found the best way for us is to contribute financially. Our money may buy an after-care package for a survivor of sex trafficking or set up women in business so that making a desperate choice to survive is no longer necessary.
Wikipedia has a pretty good list of all the organizations out there right now doing this sort of work. I encourage you to look through the list and see if one doesn't call to you.
What can I do to become aware of human trafficking?
The best way for me to become aware is to stay aware. In addition to donating money to IJM, I also receive updates that tell me ways I can get involved in the fight for justice. I'm also an IJM prayer partner. Each week I receive an email with prayer requests for urgent needs. I am so grateful that prayer changes things!
Why don't you listen to this song while you consider your answers to these questions?
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