. There are more people in slavery now than at any other time in human history.
According to research carried out by the organization Free the Slaves, more people are enslaved worldwide than ever before.
In its 400 years, the transatlantic slave trade is estimated to have shipped up to 12 million Africans to various colonies in the West. Free the Slaves estimates that the number of people in slavery today is at least 27 million.
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center suggests that three out of four slavery victims are women and that half of all modern-day slaves are children. ‘Countless other’ people are in other forms of servitude which are not legally classified as slavery, according to the Anti-Slavery Society, described ambiguously by some as ‘unfree labour’.
2. The value of slaves has decreased.
A slave in 1850 in American South cost the equivalent of approximately $40,000. According to figures published by FST, the cost of a slave today averages around $90, depending on the work they are forced to carry out.
Photo by saibotregeel
A young adult male laborer in Mali might only fetch $40, whereas an HIV-free female might attract a price of up to $1000.
Expert Kevin Bales says that because modern slavery is so cheap, it is worse than that of the Atlantic slave trade.
People have become disposable and their living conditions are worse than ever before as a result of their value.
3. Slavery still exists in the US.
Estimates by the US State Department suggest up to 17,500 slaves are brought into the US every year, with 50,000 of those working as prostitutes, farm workers or domestic servants.
According to the CIA, more than 1,000,000 people are enslaved in the US today. Thousands of cases go undetected each year and many are difficult to take to court as it can be difficult to prove force or legal coercion.
4.Slavery is hidden behind many other names, thus disguising it from society.
These names are chattel slavery (the traditional meaning of slavery), bonded labor, trafficking, forced labor, and forced marriage, amongst others.
Photo by saibotregeel
5. The least known method of slavery is the most widely used.
Bonded Labor occurs when labor is demanded in order to repay a debt or loan and the cyclical nature of debt and work can enslave the person for the rest of their life. Some conditions are so controlled that slaves are surrounded by armed guards while they work, many of whom are slaves themselves. This has been found in Brazil. It is estimated that there are 20 million bonded labourers in the world.
5 comments:
man, I never knew that.
wow that is interesting I didn't know that..
Hey, Thanks so much for using our research and giving our website - www.freetheslaves.net. The fact that I studied economic history at university helps me in the research I do. I wanted to write to say that after I discovered the dramatic drop in the price of slaves in the last fifty years I said a number of things about that, but I never said it was worse than the slavery of the past. Slavery is always horrible, no matter what form it takes. I've met many people in slavery and it changed me very much, meeting them made me realize I had to devote my life to ending slavery.
One thing you should know about that 27 million number, is that while it is a very large number of slaves, it is also the smallest percentage of the global population to ever be in slavery - and that actually means that it is easier to get rid of slavery today as compared to the past. Last Fall I published a book about how we can bring slavery to an end - it is called Ending Slavery: How We Free Today's Slaves. I hope you have a chance to look at it - it's on our website or Amazon or most other book sellers.
All best wishes,
Kevin Bales
I read about the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center online. It's in Cincinatti, Ohio. It's a huge museum that shows the history of slavery in America, as well as what we can do today to stop it.
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