IT is believed that over 27 million people are being enslaved and held hostage by human traffickers around the world, said Thami Ntimbane, the head of human trafficking and youth coordinator of the Umgeni Community Empowerment Centre (UCEC).
It has been estimated that someone becomes a victim of human trafficking every 30 seconds. These alarming statistics have galvanized the community into taking a stand against this modern form of slavery.
Hundreds of Durbanites recently took part in the UCEC’s Stop Human Trafficking 5km Awareness Family Walk to say, ‘enough is enough’. View our gallery here.
At the event, Dr Albu van Eeden, of Doctors for Life, spoke out against the decriminalisation of prostitution, one of the most common forms of human trafficking. He said prostitution is a ‘you-do-as-I-say’ form of sex.
“There is no equality between the buyer and the seller,” he explained.
Often there are also no alternatives, as many women turn to the age-old profession due to poverty or a need to feed their drug dependency.
“Do not believe that decriminalisation will eliminate this form of slavery. In countries where they have legalised the sex industry, there are either no or few exit programs available for these women,” he said.
“When one accepts that men have the right to abuse women, whenever they want, in any way they want, for payment, it does not only affect the women and girls in prostitution, but it really affects us all. The more prostitution is accepted as something normal in society the more all of them will be seen as something that can be abused,” he said.
- Contact the UCEC’s Human Trafficking Resource Line on 0800 222 777 for more information.
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