As International Labour Day, 1 May, focuses the world's attention on labour issues, millions of women, children and men are enslaved around the world.
From entire families forced into bonded labour in South Asia's agriculture, to girls as young as five trafficked to work as domestics across West Africa, and women from eastern Europe forced into the UK's sex industry, slavery continues to deny millions of people their most fundamental human rights.
Human trafficking is the fastest growing form of slavery today. At least 700,000 women, children and men around the world are affected by this abuse, forced by deception, coercion and threats or use of violence into slavery. Men are trafficked from Russia to farms in southern Europe, women from Nigeria are trafficked into brothels in Italy, and young boys from Bangladesh are trafficked and forced to ride camels in the United Arab Emirates.
"It is vital not only for these abuses to be stopped and the perpetrators punished, but for laws to be developed that protect the rights of victims of trafficking and for governments to provide the support they need to recover from this abuse", David Ould Deputy Director of Anti-Slavery International said.
"It is vital not only for these abuses to be stopped and the perpetrators punished, but for laws to be developed that protect the rights of victims of trafficking and for governments to provide the support they need to recover from this abuse", David Ould Deputy Director of Anti-Slavery International said.