Today marks the World Day of Social Justice, observed annually on the 20 February to promote efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion and unemployment.
Since 2009, the United Nations General Assembly has observed the date as a day to pursue social development and justice by removing barriers of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability.
The theme for 2015 is ending human trafficking and forced labour.
“This year’s commemoration focuses on the scourge of human trafficking and the plight of approximately 21 million women, men and children in various forms of modern slavery,” Ban Ki-moon said.
Ana Arendar, Inequality Policy Advisor at Oxfam in London and Oxford, says governments should focus on how to tackle extreme inequality in order to reduce poverty and enhance global development.
(Roma children suffering from extreme forms of poverty)
Facts on human trafficking
- Almost 21 million people are victims of forced labour – 11.4 million women and girls and 9.5 million men and boys.
- Human trafficking represented an estimated $31.6 billion of international trade per annum in 2010 and is thought to be one of the fastest-growing activities of trans-national criminal organisations.
- Of those exploited by individuals or enterprises, 4.5 million are victims of forced sexual exploitation.
Source: Lydia Smith & Ludovia Laccino (IBT)
