Modern Slavery – Existing in the shadows

Sometimes considered a historical relic of a bygone era, practices of slavery, coercion and exploitation in the workplace remain tragically commonplace, continuing unseen and unaccounted for all around us. Modern slavery, as it is known, is the illegal exploitation and mistreatment of workers for commercial or personal gain. The term covers a wide range of abusive and coercive behaviours and includes human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, descent-based slavery, slavery of children and forced or early marriage. Victims may be exploited for purposes including domestic servitude, forced labour, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation or organ harvesting. Victims of modern slavery and human trafficking slavery are diverse, affecting people of any gender, age, nationality or ethnicity however it is worth noting that this issue disproportionately affects women and girls.