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Alarming Rise in Modern Slavery: Over 50 million Lives Trapped

In a disheartening trend, the number of individuals ensnared in modern slavery has surged to 50 million in 2021, marking a distressing increase of 10 million in under six years. A recently published report by the human rights organization Walk Free reveals that a multitude of factors, including ongoing conflicts, oppressive governments, supply chains, and emerging challenges like the pandemic, climate-induced migration, and women’s rights rollbacks, are all contributing to this worsening global crisis.

According to the Global Slavery Index report, at least 27.6 million people were trapped in forced labor, while 22 million were trapped in forced marriages, with a disproportionate impact on women, children, and migrants. Shockingly, women and children accounted for over half of those enduring modern slavery in 2021, although these estimates are considered conservative.

The Global Slavery Index identifies countries with the highest prevalence of modern slavery, including North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Tajikistan, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. Conversely, countries with the lowest prevalence include Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. India, China, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey, Bangladesh, and the United States have the highest number of individuals living in modern slavery, with six of these countries belonging to the G20.

The report underscores the intricate connection between modern slavery and the demand for goods from higher-income countries. G20 nations alone import $468 billion worth of at-risk products annually. Walk Free urges governments and the international community to treat modern slavery as an intersectional issue and incorporate anti-slavery responses into humanitarian and crisis plans. Additionally, it advocates for stronger measures against forced labor supply chains, prioritizing human rights in dealings with repressive regimes, and setting the legal age of marriage at 18 without exceptions.



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