Recently I read about how human trafficking victims—male as well as female—are turning up in the most unpredictable places. We know thousands of such house and sex slaves—literal slaves, mind you, not people working for slave “wages” but people working for no wages at all—exist in the United States alone, and millions are over the globe. An investigation in human trafficking in Scotland is currently ongoing, for example, a place where many victims have been recently discovered—including several male sex slaves, something that many people do not think about.

The reality remains that most victims are female, often children, and that they are typically kidnapped with the promise of a new life out of poverty. They are not told they will be sex slaves or home servants, but that they will find new jobs—often in a factory or another industry that sounds promising—and, with this promise in mind, parents willingly allow their children to leave for a better life, not knowing that instead, they will become victims of violence and anguish until they die. To be fair, some parents facing bleak situations will even sell their daughters into the trade—as human trafficking is known worldwide as the third largest trade.

Right now, important legislation for these victims is being considered by Congress. Last year, Congress approved funding for human trafficking survivors after over 5000 activists wrote in and pleaded for the aid. While $12.5 million was granted, today we need to make sure funding goes into place with the right programs and prevention methods.

The goal here is not only to treat victims who have survived human trafficking and sexual slavery, but to get the actual traffickers locked away where they cannot prey upon these poor people again. The goal is to actually end slavery with action; yes, it’s illegal, but it’s still very much alive and underfoot. The only way we’re going to make it stop is to actually get traffickers off the street, raise awareness over the globe, and put an end to this kidnapping and violence.

Change.org, one of my new favorite activism sites, is currently hosting a campaign to do just this. They have an automated form you can click and send to the House State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee and the House Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee. You can tell them today that human trafficking—slavery—is a deplorable act that should be condemned in all instances and stopped immediately.

To take action today and ask that this crucial funding be implemented right away, please click here.