National Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2021: Date and Significance of the Day Dedicated To End Trafficking

January 11 is annually observed as National Human Trafficking Day and January is observed as National Human Trafficking Awareness month. In 2011, this observance was started by Presidential Proclamation of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month (NSHTPM). Then US President Barack Obama issued Presidential Proclamation, designating January to be NSHTPM and the anniversary of this proclamation is known as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

Considered as a modern form of slavery, human trafficking is an illegal act that involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain labour or sex. Traffickers lure victims by making false promises. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), around 2,25,000 people are victims of trafficking globally.

"From factories and brothels to farms and mines, millions of men, women, and children in the United States and around the world are exploited for their bodies and their labour...In order to rid the world of modern slavery we must do everything in our power to combat these violations of human decency," Obama said on 2017 National Human Trafficking Awareness month.

How to Observe Human Trafficking Awareness Day?

People can start or participate in a social media campaign against human trafficking. #HumanTraffickingAwarenessDay can be used to spread awareness on social media platforms. One can also donate to an after-care organisation or volunteer with an anti-trafficking organisation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 10, 2021 08:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).