The Feminisation of Modern Slavery

Modern slavery is an umbrella word that covers forced labour, human trafficking, debt bondage/bonded labour, descent-based slavery, slavery of children, forced marriage, early marriage, domestic slavery, and slavery in the supply chain (Anti-Slavery International 2022). People end up trapped in modern slavery because they are vulnerable to being tricked, trapped, and exploited, often resulting from poverty and exclusion. These external circumstances push people into making risky decisions in search of opportunities to provide for their families. They are forced into jobs in exploitative conditions. From the outside, it can look like a regular job. However, people are being controlled – they can face violence or threats, be forced into inescapable debt, or have their passports taken away and threatened with deportation. Many have fallen into this oppressive trap simply because they were trying to escape poverty or insecurity to improve their lives and support their families. Now, they cannot leave.