International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

by María José González Cepeda
10°A

Since December the second 1985, the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, has been worldwide celebrated. This significant day honors the dream of freedom and equality, in which was signed a document for suppression of human trafficking and other kinds of exploitation. Sadly, despite all the efforts of the UN to abolish slavery, there are still forms of this practice present in our society. Yet now, they receive the name of “Modern Slavery”.  

Modern slavery refers to practices related to forced labor and violation of human rights, in which people work in subhuman conditions without having the liberty to leave or protest. Traffickers guarantee their immoral business stability by using awful methods like kidnapping, blackmailing, and false promises. All of these, which can be summarized through the term: abuse of power. Modern slavery is closely attached to common problems of our modern world, such as: poverty and immigration. Problems like these, expose people to slavery and engulf them in the tar world of human trafficking.

Types of Modern Slavery 

• Human trafficking: Human trafficking is the process of trapping people through the use of violence, deception or coercion and exploiting them for financial or personal gain.

• Forced marriage: A forced marriage is where one or both people do not or cannot consent to the marriage. Pressure and/or abuse is used to force them into marriage.

• Sexual slavery: Sexual slavery is a particular form of enslavement which includes limitations on one's autonomy, freedom of movement and power to decide matters relating to one's sexual activity. Thus, the crime also includes forced marriages, domestic servitude or other forced labor that ultimately involves forced sexual activity.

• Children labor: The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity. Children's labor is also harmful to physical and mental development.

It is vital to be aware of these situations because it affects millions of people throughout the world, and it goes against basic human rights.  We have to try to prevent as many cases as we can to save lives. As a society we have to work for a better world where everyone is considered equal, where everyone has freedom, and where sins such as slavery disappear from the face of the earth.

“No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. No one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.” - Article 4 Universal declaration of human rights.

Let's help raise awareness about this theme, so hopefully, modern slavery ends someday.

Sources:

• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36416751

• https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/modern-slavery/

• https://ayudaenaccion.org/ong/blog/derechos-humanos/ejemplos-esclavitud-moderna/

• https://www.diainternacionalde.com/ficha/dia-internacional-abolicion-esclavitud

• https://www.cfr.org/interactives/modern-slavery/#!/section2/item-4

• https://www.un.org/chinese/center/chbus/events/hurights/english.htm#:~:text=No%20one%20shall%20be%20held,prohibited%20in%20all%20their%20forms.&text=No%20one%20shall%20be%20subjected,or%20degrading%20treatment%20or%20punishment.&text=Everyone%20has%20the%20right%20to%20recognition,a%20person%20before%20the%20law.