Beyond The Whistleblower: further perspectives on a global epidemic.

Slavery. In the United States, we pride ourselves on the abolition of this unjust, inhumane practice after the Civil War. Our history books depict the Emancipation Proclamation as an exemplary victory for all that we stand for in a country founded on the principles of freedom, democracy, and equal rights for all. So, to proclaim that slavery is alive and well--in fact, thriving--both here and internationally, seems alarmist, a gross exaggeration from the fringe.

Yet, it is true. In the underground networks of organized crime spanning the globe human beings are bought and sold every day in staggering numbers. According to Dave & Bill of The Cyberhood Watch on PRWeb, "There are more slaves today than in any other time in history ... In India children cost less than cattle. Over $32 billion dollars per year is made, making this the single most lucrative commercial enterprise in the world. It's the fastest growing crime on the planet."

Though some human traffickers service a clientele looking for live organs, laborers, and household servants, the vast majority of their "products" are women and children, mostly girls, bound for the sex industry. Women's bodies and beauty are marketed to the highest bidder. Their lives and hopes for the future are destroyed as they become commodities for consumption, dehumanized and disposable.

The recently released film The Whistleblower sheds light on this subject, but because the subject matter is so disturbing, it remains to be seen whether mainstream cinemas will show it. There is no Hollywood prettification, no happy ending tied up with a bow. It is devastatingly real.

Although the film profiles one specific locale and incident, trafficked women come mainly from Asia, Eastern Europe, South America, and Africa (primarily Nigeria). Young women are targeted and then groomed by men who pretend to be their friends, sometimes even by family members. Many are lured with promises of a better life and the opportunity to travel and make good money as nannies, cooks, cleaners, or hotel employees. Some are drugged and abducted, and then transported across borders through invisible networks. Others are promised an education, nice clothes, or jewelry--anything that will sell them on the idea of leaving their families for the promise of a brighter future.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

What they find upon arrival, however, is far from glamorous. Their captors take away their passports and visas and they are housed in overcrowded and filthy back rooms and basements, kept under lock and key, subjected to rapes and beatings, and fed and watered like domestic animals. Most of these victims are put to work within hours of their arrival; they must compete with one another for customers under the watchful eye of their captors, who force them to sexually service 10 to 40 men each day, every day, in order to pay off the "debt" they are told they have accumulated for their travel and living expenses.

The women who rebel are unimaginably punished to set an example. Those remaining have no choice but to paint on a smile and conduct business on the streets as if their life depended on it. It does. Even when picked up by the police, very few dare to reveal any information. They know what the punishment would be and are assured that it would be extended to their families back home as well. They are, in every sense, trapped and tortured.

Though one would have to dig deep to uncover the existence of slaves in the U.S., there are cities in Europe where their presence on the streets is commonplace. In Copenhagen, Denmark, for instance, there is a part of town known as "Meat City," where men looking for sexual services can go and choose from several different nationalities, segregated into groupings by race for their shopping convenience.

Known as the "Brothel of Scandinavia," Copenhagen is estimated to have 2,700 foreign prostitutes, as well as an estimated 500-700 brothels.

Annelise and Annevig Ebbe are a mother and daughter team from Copenhagen who have been working for the better part of two decades to bring human trafficking to the attention of local and international authorities, and to change both legislation and public opinion. Annelise, who recently stepped down from her position of Co-President of International WILPF, began her career as an activist in the 1980's when she became a WILPF member. Annevig came on board in 1995, at age 13, after attending a "Women in Black" summer camp program with her mother.

1995 was the same year that Sweden passed a controversial law making it illegal to purchase sex in an effort to combat its trafficking problem. Swedish authorities were ridiculed at the time and public opinion was skeptical, especially because it was still legal to sell sex. Hypocritical? No, said the Swedes. It works because the women involved are most often prostituting themselves because of circumstance or coercion and should not be punished. However, anyone caught buying sex receives a hefty fine and an embarrassing public notice delivered to their home.

The law has proven to be very successful. Sweden has witnessed a diminished demand for prostitutes' services, a shift in public opinion, and claims to have significantly reduced the number of human traffickers. The social stigma of buying sex is enough to deter most of the potential customers.

Annelise and Annevig have been advocating for Danish authorities to implement similar legislation. Denmark decriminalized prostitution for women who are legal residents in 1999, partly because the government hoped this would make it easier to police. But it is still legal for men to buy sex as long as the woman is over 18 and not being pimped or coerced. Infractions are rarely prosecuted. The women won't talk and the men walk away with nothing but a warning.

They also work with the Women's Council in Copenhagen, which runs a shelter and advocacy program for these women, called "The Nest." In 2007, they collaborated on a prominent campaign to influence public opinion. The campaign involved a series of print ads and billboards with a graphic photo depicting a package of fresh meat, only under the cellophane were 10 nude women curled in the fetal position, bearing an unsettling likeness to chicken wings. Another version was of a sardine can rolled open to expose women's bodies packed tightly together like fish. The message was unmistakable.

Annevig, who is an actress, also helped launch another high profile campaign. This one involved a series of television and Facebook ads composed of a string of video clips in which various well-known Danish actors state, "I say no to buying sex." They further assert that sex which is purchased is not real: the women smile and pretend they are enjoying it, but only because they have to.

Despite activism on behalf of trafficked women in Denmark, the lack of social stigma or punitive measures has kept demand for services high. And public sentiment is decidedly mixed. At one anti-trafficking conference, Annelise and Annevig witnessed a backlash from activists who were themselves legal Danish prostitutes. Carrying signs which declared their job satisfaction, these women threateningly shouted obscenities and accused the group of human rights activists of being prudish and close-minded, and of attempting to obstruct their freedom. They also argued that criminalization of the clients will just drive traffickers to operate further underground. This may well be true.

Sometimes it is hard to feel hopeful, especially when the presence of trafficked women is so visible. Annevig makes an effort to discuss the subject with male friends and acquaintances, and sometimes even with strangers. She works to educate them and help them to see the human side of the situation, the pain of multiple sex acts, the humiliation, the enslavement. Sometimes they get it. Other times not. Regardless, she seizes every opportunity to continue to raise awareness. Real change does not happen overnight. But as she walks past Meat City on her way to meet friends, she can't help but wish it would.

Kristin Knowles, a member of Cape Cod WILPF, lives in Orleans, MA. She is a visual artist, activist, teacher, ambitious thrift shopper, and award-winning performance poet.

Sources and for further information:

Jennifer Buley, "Sex Trafficking Problem in 'The Brothel of Scandinavia,'" The Copenhagen Post (4/21/2011)

Call + Response, USA, 2008 (film)

PRWeb, "The Cyberhood Watch," 9/23/10