National Catholic Register News
The head of the Rome-based ‘Slaves No More’ association discusses her organization’s efforts, inspired by Christ, to help women and girls who are sexually exploited through national and international trafficking.
Human trafficking occurs through sex trafficking, forced labor, or domestic servitude, taking many forms including sexual exploitation, forced marriage, child soldiers, or debt bondage.
Jan. 11, 2021 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, held during January which is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
All of the speakers at the anti-trafficking symposium stressed that the economic impact of the pandemic had increased vulnerability for populations already prone to labor trafficking and hindered aid organizations in delivering their services to victims of human trafficking.
The San Diego-based Children of the Immaculate Heart, which has served adult victims of human trafficking since 2013, had aimed to open a house for girls age 12-17 who had been victims of human trafficking.
Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., says his commitment to fighting trafficking and protecting the unborn child are deeply rooted in his Catholic faith.
Pro-life groups were concerned that had the court ruled the other way, finding that foriegn NGOs had free speech protections, it would affect other government requirements, such as the Mexico City Policy, which mandates that foreign NGOs receiving U.S. funding do not promote or perform abortions.
Noting that Friday, June 12, is the World Day Against Child Labor, Pope Francis said that boys and girls who were forced to work were deprived of their childhoods.
In his remarks, Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey stressed that the plight of trafficking victims may be worsened by coronavirus lockdowns.
“Prostitution does injury to the dignity of the person who engages in it, reducing the person to an instrument of sexual pleasure. The one who pays sins gravely against himself: he violates the chastity to which his Baptism pledged him and defiles his body, the temple of the Holy Spirit. Prostitution is a social scourge.” (CCC 2355)
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