International Day for the Abolition Slavery, 2 December, marks the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others.
Slavery is not merely a historical relic. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) more than 40 million people worldwide are victims of modern slavery, which is the focus for this year’s International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.
Although modern slavery is not defined in law, it is used as an umbrella term covering practices such as forced labour, child labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, human trafficking and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. Essentially, it refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power.
Facts & Figures:
• An estimated 40.3 million people are in modern slavery, including 24.9 in forced labour and 15.4 million in forced marriage
• There are 5.4 victims of modern slavery for every 1,000 people in the world
• 1 in 4 victims of modern slavery are children.
• Out of the 24.9 million people trapped in forced labour, 16 million people are exploited in the private sector such as domestic work, construction or agriculture; 4.8 million people in forced sexual exploitation, and 4 million people in forced labour imposed by state authorities
• Women and girls are disproportionately affected by forced labour, accounting for 99% of victims in the commercial sex industry, and 58% in other sectors
Shiva Hotels is the first hotel ownership group to roll out comprehensive anti-slavery programme. Its current commitment is to bring about a model to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking within our organisation and across the industry.
Rishi Sachdev, Director of Shiva Hotels say: “Modern slavery is an urgent issue that affects thousands of people across the UK, and as a major hotel group we have the opportunity to lead the way in addressing this issue. By ensuring our staff and guests are aware of the risks, we can help to prevent modern slavery and ensure the safety and livelihoods of those who may be at risk”.
The Stop Slavery Hotel Industry Network, which grew grew out of a roundtable held by Shiva Foundation and the Thomson Reuters Foundation in 2016, brings together representatives from across the hotel industry to combat human trafficking and modern slavery within the sector. Its ethos stems from the acknowledgement that actors across the industry, whether international brands, bespoke hotel groups, independent owners, managers or employee agencies are all responsible for combating this horrific crime.
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