Modern Slavery: Definition and Types

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Definition and Process
Sex Trafficking
Forced Labour
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Despite most countries in the world officially historically abolishing slavery and it is a universally condemned practice protected by law, in 2016, there were an estimated 40.3 million slaves around the world, with numbers continuing to rise (Modern Slavery and Exploitation). Modern slavery commonly takes on different forms than most people understand in historical context. It primarily focuses on forced and exploitative labour, particularly of vulnerable groups.

Private labour such as farming, construction, and domestic work are among common economic sectors involved in addition to well-known exploitation for groups such as sex workers or child labour. Modern slavery is a predatory practice that is being utilized by businesses and organizations, some seemingly legitimate, worldwide through the exploitative and forced labour of victims and needs to be addressed at the policy and law enforcement levels.

Definition and Process

Modern slavery directly refers to the institutional slavery that occurs in present-day society through forms of forced labour via coercion, the threat of violence, or debt bondage. Modern slavery is often synonymous with human trafficking in the discourse on the topic. Although trafficking implies transportation of humans, the legal definition also encompasses acts of recruitment, harbouring, manipulating, and providing persons to be used in forced labour.

These individuals are considered victims regardless if they were borne into servitude, exploited in their hometowns or transported. Modern slavery takes advantage of vulnerable populations such as women and children, those experiencing poverty, and those who lack social support such as runaways, homeless, persecuted minorities (What is Modern Slavery). The economy of slavery in the modern day is devastating. While historically, slaves were a costly investment, and there were detailed records. In modern-day, there are no official records, making the extent of the issue unknown, and most slaves cost less than $100, having short spans of forced labour, but also being abused and experiencing traumatic consequences thereafter (Bales 13).

Often individuals are promised opportunities for a better life or income (as commonly practised with illegal migrants), and when they arrive, whether domestically or across national borders, they find that promised opportunities or conditions do not exist.

However, traffickers use manipulative methods such as keeping essential documents or forcing individuals into servitude over debt that has been acquired for the procurement of the promised job or transportation. Victims are particularly vulnerable as migrants where they lack the knowledge, language, and protection while being coerced (What is Human Trafficking?). However, it is erroneous to assume that victims only come from poor regions as countries such as the UK have one of the highest rates of origin for human trafficking victims (2019 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery).

Sex Trafficking

Human trafficking of primarily women and young girls for the purposes of sex work is the most prevalent and well-known forms of modern slavery. Sex trafficking is defined when an individual engages in a commercial sex act (i.e. prostitution) due to threats or application of force, coercion, or fraud. Similar to the process described above, women and sometimes children are forced into paying off an unlawful debt that is incurred through transportation or recruitment. For adults, they are compelled into prostitution through coercion. Even if initially it is a consensual act, the person is held in service through psychological manipulation.

Meanwhile, children are often exploited as well through patronization or solicitation, taking advantage of their naivete, but using force and coercion as well (Kara 3). While some countries do allow legal prostitution for adults, it is universally illegal to use children in commercial sex work. It is estimated that 4.8 million people are victims of human trafficking for sex purposes, with 99% being female. Asia is the primary region for such activities (70%), followed by Europe and Central Asia at 14% (Global Estimates of Modern Slavery). Victims are exploited for an average of two years before being freed or escaping.

Forced Labour

Forced labour is the performance of labour, often hard manual work, that is done involuntarily through coercion or under the menace of penalty with insignificant to none monetary compensation. Similar to sex trafficking, these individuals are forced through intimidation or means of manipulated debt, or retention of identity papers or denunciation to immigration authorities. Forced labour can be imposed by private employers as well as state enterprises, with 16 million people in the private economy and 4.1 million by the state. In forced labour, the female-male ratio is more equal with 57.6% female and 42.4% male. Breakdown by industry and types of work is: 24% domestic work, 18% construction, 15% manufacturing, and 11% in fishing and agriculture for the private economy (Global Estimates of Modern Slavery).

State-imposed forced labour is commonly overlooked as modern slavery but includes the use of labour by state authorities to participate in economic development projects, mandatory military conscripts performing non-military nature service, communal services, and prisoners working against their will. State forced labour is practised in many authoritarian nature countries such as China and North Korea and is shrouded by the state apparatus as legitimate despite being in principle forced slavery.

Conclusion

It is evident that modern slavery is prevalent and continues to grow in magnitude despite recognition and efforts by global institutions such as the UN-backed International Labour Organization. The issue is complex and closely tied to both domestic issues (poverty) and politics (immigration). To stop modern slavery will require a multifaceted approach consisting of economic and social protections, cultural understanding and recognition, and legal policy initiatives. It is necessary to recognize and extend protections and rights into the informal economy where modern slavery is prevalent. Given the cross-border dimensions of contemporary slavery, international cooperation is vital to success in its prevention.

Works Cited

2019 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery. HM Government, 2019. Web.

Bales, Kevin. Ending Slavery: How We Free Todays Slaves. University of California Press, 2007.

Global Estimates of Modern Slavery. International Labour Organization, 2017. Web.

Kara, Siddharth. Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. Columbia University Press, 2009.

Modern Slavery and Exploitation. Joint Public Issues Team. Web.

What is Human Trafficking. Anti-slavery. Web.

What is Modern Slavery. US Department of State. Web.

Click Here To Order Now!