02 Oct Keep the Girls Safe

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Keep the Girls Safe

by Emily Faber

Imagine that you are a young girl.

 

Now imagine that your parents have sold you to a brothel to make money. You live on a day-to-day basis trying to stay alive and hoping that one day you will be able to break free.

 

It’s hard…right?

 

Most Americans have trouble even imagining that people are sold on a daily basis, let alone that they are sold to the lowest kinds of sorts, but this is the sad truth that is happening around most third world countries as well as happening in our own country of America. Families who can’t afford to make ends meet do the only thing that they can think of…selling their children to brothels and the like, thus effectively making their children future prostitutes.

 

Here are the facts:

  • Trafficking women and children for sexual exploitation is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. This, despite the fact international law and the laws of 134 countries criminalize sex trafficking. (Equality Now)
  • At least 20.9 million adults and children are bought and sold worldwide into commercial sexual servitude, forced labor and bonded labor. (International Labour Organization)
  • About 2 million children are exploited every year in the global commercial sex trade. (UNICEF)
  • Almost 6 in 10 identified trafficking survivors were trafficked for sexual exploitation. (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
  • Women and girls make up 98% of victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation. (International Labour Organization)
  • The average age of entry into prostitution is 12-14 years of age. (Polaris)

 

So…what can be done to stop this sex-trafficking?

 

We here at Beauty for Freedom have come up with a new campaign entitled The Color of Freedom | Keep the Girls Safe Campaign whose mission is to engage the beauty and fashion industries to fight to end sex-trafficking and help to raise awareness. Featuring supermodel and human rights activist Diandra Forrest along with local children mixing in between plain white and full color with Forrest giving a voice-over in regards to survivors of sex-trafficking, the video below gives a powerful message.

 

Check out out first installment of the campaign.

 

A second video is in the works that features ballet dancer Erika Citrin and actress Serinda Swan, balancing between dark and light colors, representing slavery and freedom.

 

In addition to Beauty For Freedom raising awareness, Pamela Bell, founder of activist product design studio Prinkshop has also created a signature Keep The Girls Safe signature gold and black color-way t-shirt.

 

If you would like more information head over to beautyforfreedom.org and please join the movement and purchase the campaign tees at prinkshop.com/keepthegirlssafe.

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Photo Credit: Mary Gordon