The Problem
Every year over 1 million young children and women are sold into sexual slavery. The U.S. State Department estimates 800,000 victims are trafficked across international boarders annually with 17,500 sold in the United States. Nearly 30% of the victims are between the ages of 9 and 15, and some as young as 5 or 6 years old. This $12 billion industry, protected by corrupt officials and an indifferent public, is growing larger every day. The sex slave trade has become the third most profitable criminal industry, behind only narcotics and weapons. Legislation is slow to catch up to the problem, and funding is minimal at best. Today, more people are enslaved globally than at the height of the transatlantic slave trade. Global awareness on the issue of sex slavery is extremely low.
The Solution
Raising global awareness will help eradicate industry demand, change legislation, and increase funding for NGO’s combating the illegal trade. There are very effective grassroots organizations in various parts of the world that are making great efforts to stop this atrocity. These groups rescue victims from brothels, offer them shelter, safety, counseling, education, vocational skills, and assistance transitioning back into society. In these organizations there is no shortage of courage as these staff members often deal with life threatening situations; however there is a shortage of money and resources.
The Somaly Mam Foundation
The Somaly Mam Foundation combats the illegal trade by funding organizations that rescue, rehabilitate, and reintegrate these young girls. All organizations funded by the Somaly Mam Foundation are audited operationally and financially – AFESIP Cambodia is currently the primary beneficiary. The Foundation’s mission includes raising awareness through a multi-level marketing and educational campaign consisting of online interaction, celebrity voices, high-profile events, media exposure, university clubs, and a central source of educational information. The foundation’s ambitious vision of ending sexual slavery requires the support of an active community. The foundation is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Somaly Mam
Born in the Mondulkiri province of Cambodia, Somaly Mam began her life in poverty. Twelve years later, her "grandfather" sold her into slavery. She was forced to work in a brothel, where she faced torture and sexual abuse on a daily basis. Then one night, she watched a pimp murder her close friend, and she made it her mission to escape her enslavement. After Somaly broke free from her captors, she worked as a midwife at Choup District Hospital in Cambodia. A few years later, she traveled to France and found that her most rewarding experiences occurred when she devoted herself to social work. Haunted by her experiences and determined to make a difference, Somaly returned to Cambodia and established a non-governmental organization called “Agir Pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire (AFESIP),” translated in English: “Acting for Women in Distressing Circumstances.” She became co-founder of AFESIP and president of AFESIP Cambodia in the capital city of Phnom Penh.
Somaly is now one of the most prolific activists fighting sexual slavery. She has been the recipient of several awards, including the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation, Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year for 2006, CNN Hero, and recognition from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She lives in Cambodia where she continues to risk her life to rescue the victims of sexual slavery and help them realize free and fulfilling lives.
Operations we support
