Build Back Better

"...Out-of-school children are at further risk of forced labor due to their families' economic stress." - @foreignpolicymag

Everyone knows that COVID-19 is affecting every aspect of daily life, but something that's only just being understood is how it affects trafficking. In the first few months of the pandemic, we weren't sure how this would change the sexual exploitation industry, but we knew it wouldn't be good.

Studies, stories, and statistics are coming in fast about the impact of this disease on trafficking. Children who are out of school and being made to work online are, therefore, more susceptible to predators, especially as vulnerable and isolated as current events are making them feel. Families are feeling the economic strain, which always has the possibility of leading to familial trafficking no matter the cause of the strain. Travel restrictions mean that victims who were trafficked overseas now have a harder time returning home after months or years of being missing. There are so many facets to trafficking, and all of them are being changed in this time of crisis.

The important thing is to "build back better." Hopefully soon, as the world recovers from COVID-19 and starts to get back to normal, we have the unique opportunity to be able to restore existing systems to better than they were before. If you're a care provider, use this time to reevaluate and revamp your systems! If you're not, reach out to your local anti-trafficking organizations to see what you can do in this challenging time to ease their hearts and help them come back stronger than before. We are all Davids in the fight against this Goliath! ?

#enditmovement #teamhopeforjustice #endhumantrafficking