When you hear the term human trafficking what do you think that means? My first opinion was the abduction of young people and forcing them into labor or sexual exploitation in third world countries. What I didn't realize is this despicable criminal injustice is a massive global issue and growing in the United States.

A couple of months ago I watched the movie "Taken" and it opened my eyes to the undercover world of sex slaves. To think that this is actually going on is unspeakable and yet it is true. In Europe and America not just third world countries.

According to Polaris Project a non-profit organization to stop human slavery, human trafficking is modern day slavery and is the second largest criminal industry in the world. The Polaris Project website best describes defines human trafficking as "Victims of human trafficking are people forced or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Labor trafficking is widespread in variety of situations that encompass domestic servitude and small-scale labor operations, to large-scale operations such as farms, sweatshops, and major multinational corporations. Sex trafficking is one of the most lucrative sectors regarding the illegal trade in people, and involves any form of sexual exploitation in prostitution, pornography, bride trafficking, and the commercial sexual abuse of children. Under international law, any sexually exploited child is considered a trafficking victim, even if no force or coercion is present.  

An estimated 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked annually in the United States alone. The number of US citizens trafficked within the country is even higher. An estimated 200,000 American children are at high risk for trafficking into the sex industry each year."

Here are the types of Human Trafficking in the US according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC)

Labor Trafficking:

• Domestic Servitude/Domestic Worker Cases
  • Nannies
  • Maids/Housekeepers

• Small Businesses/”Mom and Pop” Operations
  • Landscaping
  • Nail salons
  • Restaurants
  • Industrial cleaning
  • Construction
  • Hospitality

• Peddling Rings/Sales Crews
  • Magazine sales crews
  • Flowers/Candy sales crews

• Large-Scale Labor Cases
  • Agricultural
  • Factory settings (i.e. garments; food processing)
  • Other large factory work environments (i.e. industrial welding)

 
Sex Trafficking:

• “Hostess” Bar/Club Operations with Inflated-Price Schemes
  • These cases may be classified as labor trafficking if commercial sex acts do not occur. However, these operations often involve some linkage with commercial sex acts.
  • Eastern European/Russian stripping or exotic dancing “Go-Go Clubs”
  • Latino cantina bars
  • Asian room salons, hostess clubs, and other karaoke clubs
  • Domestic strip clubs and gentleman’s clubs

• Residential/Underground Brothel Settings
  • Residential brothels can be based in homes, apartments, hotel/motel rooms, trailer parks, mobile trailers, and other outdoor locations.
  • Residential brothels are diverse and can include both foreign born and US citizen populations.

• Escort Services (Both Incall and Outcall)
  • Bar/Hotel-based
  • Internet-based
  • Private parties (house, club, lap dance clubs)
  • Boat cruises
  • Phone chat lines

• Pimp-Controlled Prostitution
  • Hotel-based
  • Internet/Escort-based
  • Private parties
  • Street-based
  • Truck stops
  • Other miscellaneous locations

Other:

• International Marriage Brokers/Servile marriage
• Personal sexual servitude

I feel strong need to help this cause. My next handbag design will be called "Deliverance" and will go towards stopping "Human Trafficking". There's alot of information about warning signs and what to look out for. I really just mentioned what it is here. To learn more about Human Trafficking check out these websites.

Polaris Project

National Human Trafficking Resource Center

Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking

The A21 Campaign

Stop Child Trafficking Now

LA Dream Center

Feel free to add if you know of others.

Placing the Swarvoski® crystals on this clutch has been a challenge. I started with a sketch to help me with position of each rhinestone but when I started placing them down on the clutch I changed some of the color stones positions. The stones change colors depending on the material they are placed on so it was necessary to make adjustments.

The clutch is made from Ambience Ultrasuede® inside and out. There is a 6 inch gold metal zipper pocket inside the bag. The clutch measures 11 inches wide by 5 inches high when closed. The bag closes with a square magnetic snap. All of the embellishments are Swarvoski® crystals. And the flowers are made from Ultrasuede®. The clutch can be spot cleaned with a mild detergent.

If you would like to purchase this bag it is custom made to order and takes 2-3 weeks. Price $259. Click here to order.