An estimated 40 million people, including men, women, boys and girls are trapped in modern day slavery right now. They are being denied their fundamental human rights, freedom, dignity and a chance to flourish.

Trafficking happens in every region of the world. It happens all around us. It’s on the streets, in construction sites, in restaurants, in the fields, in shops, and even in homes.

It happens at night, in warehouses, on fishing boats, online and other hidden places.

It generates billions of dollars for organized criminals who use extensive networks and illegal deals to make it happen, including corruption at the different levels of government and society.

Worldwide it generates an estimated 150 billion dollars a year with 90 billion of that coming from sexual exploitation alone. That’s more than the GDP of 137 nations in the world.

Over 71% of people trafficked are women and girls and over 99% of all people trafficked for sexual exploitation are women and girls.

29% of people trafficked are men and boys who end up in forced labour and sexual exploitation. The majority of demand for sexual exploitation comes from men and most traffickers are men.

Traffickers use coercion, deception, manipulation, threats and violence to recruit, transport and enslave people through criminal networks. But trafficking also happens through friends and family members who are trapped in cycles of poverty, vulnerability and abuse. Trafficking also exists because of corruption in our societies and a lack of political and legal will to stop the problem.

The problem is ours. The problem is real. The problem must be disrupted and changed.