In a world that fights so hard for equality and freedom, slavery should be a concept relegated to history. Yet in the present day, it is all-too-common.
Modern slavery currently claims the freedom of more than 45 million people globally; a number that is bigger than it ever has been before. Claiming captive people from many different walks of life, modern slavery spans many industries. In fact, the modern slave can be subjected to all sorts of extreme conditions involving domestic servitude, sex trafficking, orphanage trafficking, bonded labour, forced marriage, to name a few.
Legislation in many countries has not caught up to protect people from present-day slavery, making it all too easy for this oppression to occur.
However, on Thursday the Modern Anti Slavery Act 2018 was passed in New South Wales Parliament, showing the state’s commitment to combating this problem.
For Australia, and for most of the world, the act is the first of its kind, and will be revolutionary.
The act introduces laws to tackle the crimes of human trafficking such as slavery, forced labour and wage exploitation, involuntary servitude, debt bondage, human trafficking, forced marriage and other slavery-like exploitation.
World Youth Adventures School Projects Manager, Donna Lawrence, says the new laws also tackle the issue of orphanage tourism in developing nations, which has been described as a new form of modern slavery.
More than eight million children around the world, who have at least one living relative, are living in orphanages, proving how big the problem of orphanage trafficking is.
“There is compelling evidence that orphanage tourism, the practice of well-meaning travellers visiting and volunteering in orphanages, is open to abuse from corrupt organisations operating under the guise of an orphanage and praying on well-meaning but uninformed travellers.” Ms Lawrence said.
“We welcome today’s passing of the NSW Modern Anti Slavery Act 2018 and look forward to seeing other states and territories following suit, as well as the Federal Government.”
