The spring is a time that’s meant for new beginnings. When vegetation seeks new life after many months of lying dormant. This was my favorite time of the year. It was 2015. There was snow on the peaks of the mountains but deep inside the valley it was beginning to warm up. The smell of …
There are many reasons why we should seek to understand the language of sex workers. Just like learning another culture’s language, understanding the terminology of sex work gives us insight into the daily lives of those who both choose and who are forced into prostitution. When we can grasp the terminology, we can begin to …
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE TRAFFICKED FOR LABOR? A study completed in 2017 by ILO, the International Labor Organization, found that of the 24.9 million victims of human trafficking, 64% (16 million) are trafficked for labor, such a construction, manufacturing, mining, hospitality, domestic work, and agriculture. While most of us in society don’t contribute to the …
When I was 9 years old my parents placed me into Taekwondo lessons. Unlike the others, I was not taught discipline, commitment, and self-defense. There, I was taught by a male instructor, more than twice my age, what it means to be a victim of molestation. The sexual exploitation went on for a while. It …
Being raised in a Catholic Arab household, the subject of sex was considered taboo. The mere mention of sex outside of marriage was sinful, blasphemous, and would be met with reprehensible scolding. This left me, an Arab American woman, to feel absolute shame when I lost my virginity at 17. Losing one’s virginity, as pictured …
The Covid19 pandemic is all anyone can talk about. It’s unavoidable. It’s portrayed in the media constantly, there are signs outside of every establishment warning patrons and advising how best to avoid it, it’s even become the newest fashion statement. But who’s out there talking about human trafficking? What news stations are informing the public about modern day …