National Human Trafficking Awareness Day: Significance, History

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is observed on 11th January every year to raise awareness about the prevalence of human trafficking in society. By attending awareness programmes held on this day, people can learn the red flags about potential human trafficking attempts. National Human Trafficking Awareness Day can help in identifying a human trafficking victim or offender.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day was established in the United States after the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000. We have shared more details about the history and significance of this day here.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2023

Human Trafficking is a serious offence in society, yet, every year, millions of people fall prey to human trafficking. National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is an attempt to highlight this menace and raise awareness about the trafficking of human beings. The types of human trafficking highlighted on Human Trafficking Day include slavery, involuntary servants, and debt slavery.

In the United States, the entire month of January has been officially announced as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Here, we have shared a brief about National Human Trafficking Awareness Day -

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2023 Theme

Last year, the National Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2022 theme was “Use and abuse of technology”. This theme indicates how technology can enable human trafficking. Each year, a new theme is chosen for Human Trafficking Awareness Day for global observation.

The colour blue is also designated as the official colour for National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. On this day, people wear blue to show support for the victims of human trafficking around the world.

Human Trafficking Awareness Day: History

The history of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day can be traced back to 2011, when a presidential order signed by former US President Barack Obama came into effect. This order, known as the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, strengthened the United States’ attempt to combat the problem of human trafficking.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is commemorated on 11th January every year. The goal of the day is to make people aware of the tragedy of human trafficking victims while also broadcasting and protecting their rights and interests.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 affirmed the US mission to fight and eradicate human trafficking both domestically and internationally. In an extended observance of National Human Trafficking Awareness Week, the month of January was declared the "National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month".

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day: Significance

Every year on 11th January, Human Trafficking Awareness Day is celebrated to promote and bring awareness to a crime that has a long-term impact on human lives, families and households, and communities across the globe. The aim of the Human Trafficking Awareness Day is to spread awareness about human trafficking by bringing the practical scenario in front of people's eyes.

Human Trafficking Awareness Day is also commemorated to aid in detecting human trafficking red flags so that other lives can be saved. Here is why this day is considered significant -

• Human trafficking affects the lives of approximately 2,25,000 individuals each year across the globe.
• On Human Trafficking Awareness Day, people wear blue outfits to bring awareness and draw attention to the malpractice of human trafficking.
• In today's world, the most prevalent form of human trafficking is sex trafficking, which accounts for about 80% of human trafficking. On the other hand, labour enslavement accounts for another 19%.
• Sex trafficking generates $99 billion per year, while labour trafficking generates $51 billion per year.
• Other kinds of abuse go mostly unrecognised because of the widespread prevalence of sex trafficking, endangering mostly women's lives.
• Since human trafficking is a growing global problem, observing National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is important to spread and promote awareness.

Human Trafficking Awareness Day: Facts

• Every country in the world faces the danger of human trafficking.
• Some countries are the origins of this malpractice, while some work just as a passage or destination.
• Trafficking from developing countries to developed countries is common as the demand for labour is huge in developed countries.
• Forced sexual exploitation affects 4.5 million people globally, while modern slavery presently impacts 21 million individuals around the world.
• The most common and noticeable kind of human trafficking is sex trafficking and exploitation.
• A significant number of women are involved in human trafficking, working as perpetrators, while a huge number of women are affected by the system.

FAQs on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Q1. When is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day celebrated?

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is observed every year on 11th January. This day is celebrated to spread awareness regarding the prevalence of human trafficking in society and the impact it can have on victims as well as the family of victims.

Q2. Who established National Human Trafficking Awareness Day?

Former US President Barack Obama took the initiative of celebrating National Human Trafficking Awareness Day annually on 11th January. He also designated January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

Q3. When was the first National Human Trafficking Awareness Day celebrated?

The first National Human Trafficking Awareness Day was celebrated in 2011. This day is an important part of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness month. Human Trafficking Awareness Day is celebrated annually on 11th January across the world.

Q4. Which colour is used to symbolise the celebration of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day?

The colour blue is used to symbolise the celebration of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Human Trafficking Awareness Day is observed to raise awareness and offer support to victims of human trafficking.