The 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place from 11 to 22 March 2024. This comes at a time when human trafficking is the fastest-growing crime worldwide, with over 50 million people estimated to be in situations of modern slavery around the world.
Modern slavery is a highly gendered issue. Globally, women and girls face reduced access to quality education, decent work, and financial independence, creating heightened vulnerabilities to trafficking, forced labour, and other forms of modern slavery. Women and girls make up 71% of those trapped in modern slavery globally, constituting 99% of forced sexual exploitation, 58% of forced labour, and 84% of all victims of forced marriage. Additionally, women and girls who are survivors are also more likely to face sexual violence in addition to physical violence, economic exploitation, and revictimization.
Despite the widespread nature of modern slavery, the efforts of the international community are falling short of adequately addressing this human rights crisis. We therefore call on Member States at the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women to take action on the following:
Reaffirm and fully implement all existing international agreements to combat modern slavery and human trafficking, ensuring that combating these issues remains a political priority.
Develop a concrete strategy and strengthen existing efforts to address the gendered nature of modern slavery and take steps towards its implementation meaningfully incorporating input from civil society, youth, and survivors.
Address the root causes, including lack of access to education for women and girls, economic inequality, unregulated supply chains, and discriminatory migration policies to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking.
Modern slavery and human trafficking in all its forms will only be eradicated if gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls are genuinely achieved. Our collective feminism must include the women and girls, in all their diversity, trapped in modern slavery, human trafficking, and all other forms of extreme exploitation.
We must leave no one behind.