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Period: 1400 to
European Slave Trade
European countries, including Portugal and Great Britain began transporting and selling people from Africa and using them as slaves. The development of plantations greatly increases and so does the slave trade. Several other countries join in, including Spain, North American, Holland, France, Sweden, and Denmark. -
Anti-Slavery International is founded
This organization is the world's oldest international human rights organization. It is based in the U.K. and works specifically to end slavery, trafficking, and other types of abuse. -
International Agreement for the Suppression of "White Slave Traffic"
This agreement is signed and put into action. The purpose of this agreement is to protect women from being involved in "White Slave Traffic". "White Slave Traffic" refers to women being forced into prostitution. -
League of Nations is Founded
The league of nations is founded, with it's goal being to end human trafficking and promote world peace. -
India Initiates the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act
This act is a huge part in helping to end human trafficking, specifically in India, where it is a huge problem. -
United Nations hold the 4th World Conference
The conference addresses the problem of trafficked women, and recognizes it as a huge problem. Actions to be taken were developed, including enforcing international conventions on trafficking and human slavery, addressing the factors that encourage trafficking, setting up effective law enforcement and institutions that work to eliminate trafficking both nationally and internationally, and implementing programs to provide support for victims. -
Polaris Project is Founded
This is still one of the most influential organizations as far as helping to eliminate human trafficking today. It includes a national, toll-free hotline where they receive information or reports regarding human trafficking, advocating for more legislation to help end human trafficking, raising awareness, and training law enforcement to deal with trafficking issues -
An Instance Calls This Huge Issue to the World's Attention
57 migrants are smuggled into Thailand in a seafood container. They suffocate on the way and die. This story calls the issues of trafficking to our attention, and reminds us that change must be initiated in order for conditions to be improved. -
Women Are Brought into the U.S with Fake Passports
A large human trafficking ring was ended in Taipei, Taiwan. It involved several young females who were brought to the U.S. illegally with fake passports. They then used these fake passports to obtain visas. They were discovered by the National Immigration Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This brought the issue directly to the U.S.'s attention -
January Becomes Human Trafficking Awareness Month
President Obama declares January Human Trafficking Awareness Month. The Alliance to End Human Trafficking, an anti trafficking coalition, begins a campaign to ask the government to take a serious look at trafficking by renewing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The goal is not only to increase awareness, but to take actions to end it.
