Slavery Today - Ruby

When we think of slavery, we think of the 1800s, and something that has been eradicated. But it might shock you to know that slavery still exists, and that there are more slaves today than there ever have been in history. There are over 27 million slaves in the world today, which is roughly the combined population of Australia and New Zealand. The numbers alone are staggering, but what the slaves go through on a daily basis is even more shocking. They live in conditions not fit for animals, work for 16-17 hours a day, and if ill, cannot stop working. Not to mention if they stop or try to resist they are beaten, or even murdered.

Modern day slavery is a horror that needs to end. There is no justification for the exploitation and dehumanization of people. Children, even. In fact, over a quarter of all current enslaved people are children under 18. This is horrifying, and truly one of the worst examples of humanity. Even though there are people trying to eradicate it once and for all, global slavery is growing, not shrinking. Most of the world is ignorant about the horrors of modern day slavery, but you can help change that.

As hopeless and dismal as this seems studies show it is possible to completely eradicate slavery in 25 years, but people have to play their part. It isn’t just up to the government to do this; everybody has to help – including you.

If you want to be a part of eradicating global slavery, you can visit websites such as http://www.freetheslaves.net/.

Ruby Baines