February is the shortest month of the year. It is the time of year where we have a superstition of a groundhog predicting whether there are six more weeks of winter or not. It also means Valentine's Day is here (so if anyone forgot, this is your reminder).
One of the biggest events people look forward to in February is the Super Bowl, which took place last night. Two of the best professional football teams come together to play for the title of NFL (National Football League) Champion. In 2016, there were over 71,000 in attendance to the actual game; there were also 111.9 million U.S. viewers, making it the third largest TV audience in history. Football is a big deal all over the U.S., so it makes sense that Super Bowl Sunday is such a big event every single year.
However, there are other events that underlie the Super Bowl that people aren't aware of or don't acknowledge. That is sex trafficking, a modern form of slavery. According to the Polaris Project (an organization fighting against human trafficking) and the International Labour Organization, 20.9 million people around the world are enslaved to the industry:
- 68% of them are trapped in forced labor
- 26% of them are children
- 55% are women and girls
Between forced labor and human trafficking, it is a 150 billion dollar industry world-wide.
This year in 2017, the game is being held in Houston, Texas, which is dubbed as the biggest hub for sex trafficking here in the United States. Its large population, border proximity, closeness to two different ports, among many other factors, undoubtedly influences the whole problem. It likely wouldn't be a surprise to most that issues like this would fluctuate with more people coming into an already large city, especially around the time of a widely-popular sporting event. But just because awareness is only brought up one out of 365 days per year, does not mean it isn't present any other day.
In fact, it trivializes it.
Bradley Miles, the CEO of the Polaris Project, has even said there isn't much evidence linking the Super Bowl and a spike in human trafficking. And instead, there should be more effort to fight it throughout the rest of the year. The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women pointed out that talking about trafficking and sporting events is just a distraction, and that the resources used during those times can be better utilized all year round rather than one specific day.
Human trafficking is a national problem, not just a sporting event problem.
What are the ways you can help? First, get educated. Google different organizations combatting human trafficking. Many of them have different focuses such as women trafficking, child labor, trafficking of men and boys in urban areas, and so forth. Second, recognize the signs. The Polaris Project has a list of different basic signs of human trafficking ranging from work and living conditions to mental and physical health. Third, get involved. Spread the word to help and educate others. Volunteer to help if you can. You don't have to travel far to volunteer; find out where you can help in your local areas. Donate to shelters or advocacy groups if you don't have time to give.
Those who are enslaved don't have the voice to speak out. It is our job to shine the light on this national epidemic. It's time to speak for the unspoken.
Information acredited to:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/fans-at-super-bo...
http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/08/media/super-bowl-5...
http://fightthenewdrug.org/houston-superbowl-draws...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/01/super-bow...
http://www.gaatw.org/publications/WhatstheCostofaR...
