I know we’ve mentioned the abundance of acronyms in Peace Corps; the above are another set that have become part of my life through Peace Corps, though these are not PC acronyms. I was introduced to commercial sexual exploitation of children (csec), intergenerational transactional sex (its), and human trafficking (ht) directly through my work with YES (anyone remember what that stands for?). I also happened to watch a few films and documentaries on human trafficking and have been reading a lot about modern day slavery and sex trafficking since the issue was introduced into my life.
To be honest, I was shocked that I had no idea this was happening at alarming rates throughout the world. Now that I do know about it, I can’t not know; so, it’s had a profound impact on the course of my life. While at YES, I worked with both young women and parents who were victims of csec whether directly as an exploited child or as a mother who tried to make a better life for her daughter by earning school fees in exchange for a sexual relationship between that daughter and a “sugar daddy.” Sadly, neither these women nor their children understood the long term ramifications of such a situation. In many cases, should a girl become pregnant or infected with an STI or HIV, she would not only lose the “sugar daddy,” but would lose her future options as traditional high school would no longer be an option for a teen mother and stigma and discrimination associated with HIV is extremely prevalent. I believe it is poverty that makes this system possible, but it is also the men and women who foot the bills for the relationship who allow it to flourish. There are young girls involved in csec/its situations whereby their “sugar daddy” is simply the connection between tourists and a sexual encounter; these girls have a pager or cell phone that must be kept on and when it goes off they must leave whatever they are doing (most often a class) to be met by a taxi and connected with the client. This is happening all over the world as I write. It’s heartbreaking and incomprehensible to me that this occurs everyday, and I can’t comfortably live in a world in which this abuse of human rights exists.
I have read a great deal about the sex slave industry and other slavery that currently occurs throughout the world (this includes both “developed” and developing countries). I’ve read several slave narratives accounting the harsh inhumane conditions in which slaves are forced to live and work and countless tales of legal systems looking away for the right price. When you think about it, if a person will make more money from the traffickers for looking away than their meager salaries and when their own bosses are partaking of the services it is not in their best interest to stop it. Oftentimes what happens is a girl may escape from a situation only to be arrested and found in violation of several things, one being illegal residency in the country since she was trafficked without legal documentation across borders. So, the girl is charged with a crime and her trafficker pays to get her out, putting her in more debt and requiring her enslavement to extend as she repays her debts (which include the initial cost of acquiring her and trafficking her to her current location, costs of housing and food, and other costs determined by the traffickers along with interest thrown in for good measure). The whole thing is a massive industry that won’t end easily, but I have to do what I can to help the victims at the very least.
In order to do that, I have spent considerable time researching potential career paths and further education needed to gain additional skills. I have always expected to continue my education; first of all, I love learning and engaging in academic discourse on matters of importance to social justice and empowerment of the disadvantaged. After a great many conversations with trusted advisors and research on academic programs, I find myself leaning toward programs in law and/or public policy, with a concentration on international development and human rights. The more I read about human rights law and advocacy and think about how I can best serve victims, the more convinced I feel that I have found the right path. I’m a late bloomer, what can I say? I wish I had come to this conclusion sooner so I could be further along on my way to becoming the human rights advocate and policy analyst/writer I want to be, but I needed this time to have these experiences and truly know which way to go. Besides, I have loved every job I have had and wouldn't want to miss out on all those experiences either!
I have always worked toward the empowerment of others, particularly youth, throughout my life – from volunteering when I was in school to teaching high school to leadership development work at the college level and now to Peace Corps work – and I have devoted myself to helping others find and achieve their potential. I love that work and I will always find a way to engage directly with the people I serve, but I also have come to realize that to make the kind of systemic change I “wish to see in the world,” then I have to work at the policy level and work to analyze problems, research potential solutions, and design policy that can bring about those solutions. I think it would also be beneficial to work in implementation and enforcement through a legal background. When necessary, I see myself representing victims of human rights violations to protect their rights and get them the help they need to become independent and empowered to help themselves. I wish to be a voice for the voiceless and help those who cannot help themselves. Extreme poverty creates so many barriers for people and it should not also be the cause of a life of servitude and isolation from loved ones. I believe I can make a difference and I am excited to embark on a journey that can lead me to do so. To keep options open, I've spent the past two months studying nonstop for the lsat and have under a month until the test; I'm feeling good, but you never know what will happen on test day. I believe if it's meant to be, it will; but, I also know I can do a lot to prepare myself ;)
Recently, a colleague shared the perfect quote with me: “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.” – John F. Kennedy. I believe this wholeheartedly and hope you all will try along with me to make a difference wherever you see a need. I remember saying, after I first learned about slavery in America, that I would have been an abolitionist if I lived in that time; turns out slavery hasn’t been abolished, so I am committed to serving as an abolitionist.
Peace! ~ginnie :~)
If you’d like to read more about human trafficking and slavery, check out the following links:
slavery today,
modern slavery 101,
cnn heroes koirala nepal,
pbs frontline slaves,
escaped slave shares her storyor read these books:
Sex Trafficking: Inside the Modern Business of Slavery, Siddharth Kara
Enslaved: True Stories of Modern Day Slavery, edited by Jesse Sage and Liora Kasten
