Leveraging Technology as a Catalyst for Social Impact
By Win This Fight Interns: Devanshi Bhanjana, Holly Curtis, Prem Mehta-Spooner, Alex Yang
Human trafficking is a devastating and violating act that affects many people, primarily women, BIPOC, and children. The Canadian Government defines human trafficking as "a modern-day form of slavery [that] involves the recruitment, transportation, harbouring and/or exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of a person in order to exploit that person, typically through sexual exploitation or forced labour." Victims of human trafficking exist all over the world, including in Canada, which is home to thousands of victims each year. Between 2010 and 2020, there were almost 3,000 reported human trafficking cases in Canada, with even more cases being suspected as the relevant data is quite limited. Of Canada's human trafficking problem, the highest concentration comes from Ontario, where 60% of the cases in 2019 occurred. Fortunately, the government announced executing a 307 million dollar investment in a human trafficking remediation strategy primarily involving educating children about human trafficking and how to keep oneself safe.
organizations taking a stance
As society continues to experience significant technological advancements, the exploitation of this technology has also intensified. The United Nations encourages tech companies, in addition to those in the private sector, to implement strategies that reduce the manipulation of technology to further human trafficking activities. On the contrary, utilizing technology to overcome and fight against human trafficking-related activities is a promising avenue to advocate for victims and survivors. Technology can trace the digital footprint of criminals as well as create accessible platforms for victims and survivors to connect and heal, both paramount in addressing the issue of human trafficking in all forms. Discussions around technology and human trafficking are inextricably linked. Technology must serve as a strategy to dismantle the brutal and unjust system of human trafficking and inspire confidence in its ability to save lives; therefore, international governments and businesses have a critical role in ending this tragedy.
The United Nations undertook the Blue Heart Campaign, which focuses on increasing awareness of human trafficking and promoting the action of "governments, civil society, the corporate sector, and individuals alike." Directed Blue Heart Campaign funds offer support to victims internationally through the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund. Additionally, since 2000, the UN has enforced the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons to work with countries globally to improve legislative efforts to reduce human trafficking. The United Nations also reinforced the importance of ending human trafficking through sustainable development goals 10.7 and 8.8, which address implementing policies for safer migration of individuals and creating environments where individuals can access safer working conditions. Although there is much more to accomplish globally, seeing international awareness and support of the issue at the highest levels of authority is promising.
Win This Fight is an organization based in New York with a mandate to "Stop Global Human Trafficking Now." To support victims and survivors, the organization is using technology for good. The organization is committed to awareness and education and offers programming skills to survivors. Further, the social-impact-driven operations at Win This Fight use technology to track the digital footprint of traffickers who often slip through the cracks. Rather than just offering mitigation and healing services, the organization is working on preventative approaches that systematically disassemble the causes of human trafficking.
With increased awareness of the issue at the grassroots level and on the global stage, as a community, we can take actionable steps to end human trafficking. Governments and businesses can work together to advance meaningful and long-lasting social impact work.
actions we can take
A possible effective strategy would be to launch a national public awareness campaign to educate Canadians, especially the vulnerable and marginalized populations about the devastating effect of human trafficking and how to protect themselves from it. This effort would help raise awareness of the severity and prevalence of the issue and the need to expand the fight against human trafficking systematically. Currently, one of the most highly publicized awareness programs on human trafficking is the Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign. Cooperating with this current-existing department of the anti-human trafficking campaign will bring more opportunities to inform the public and influence policy decisions locally and nationally.
Secondly, it is essential to provide support for victims of human trafficking. Human traffickers inflict physical and emotional abuse, threats, isolation from friends and families, and economic abuse toward their victims. Win This Fight is an example of an organization that victims can contact. In addition to victim support, Win This Fight proposes four main preventive approaches to combat human trafficking: evidence-based solutions, catalytic change, collective process, and partnership. Win This Fight leverages technology to train and employ victims, preventing them from returning to their traffickers. Furthermore, Win This Fight is making a catalytic change by proposing a solution of anti-money laundering due diligence at the global level.
conclusion
Human trafficking harms victims' physical and mental well-being and negatively affects the remainder of their lives. To remediate the issue, current and future leaders should focus on making an impact through local, grassroots operations with an eye to increasing global awareness.
Resources:
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/hmn-trffckng/abt-hmn-trffckng-en.aspx
https://globalnews.ca/news/8624202/how-ontarios-strategy-to-fight-sex-trafficking-is-changing/
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2022001/article/00010-eng.htm
https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/2022/GLOTiP_2022_web.pdf
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/blueheart/
https://www.winthisfight.org/purpose/
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2019-ntnl-strtgy-hmnn-trffc/index-en.aspx