Dr. Esohe Aghatise, an international lawyer, began working to help women who had been trafficked in 1998 when she founded her organization: IROKO.
Dr. Aghatise founded the organization with one goal in mind: to combat violence against women, and to assist women who had been trafficked, specifically from Nigeria to Italy, for prostitution. The organization provides aftercare, counseling, legal services, housing, vocational training, and even helps women to find employment.
Our team had the honor of hosting a Google Hangout with Esohe where we had a conversation about Italy, sex trafficking, proposed legislation, and how we can continue to combat the scourge of human trafficking in our world. Modern-day slavery is a problem that concerns us all.
Caleb Benadum was previously the Program Manager for the Trafficking in Persons Report Global Heroes Network. He graduated from Capital University with a degree in Philosophy, and the University of Cincinnati Law School with a Juris Doctor degree. Having spent much of his life overseas, he is committed to modern-day abolitionism and the promotion of human rights around the world.
Her trafficker told her to tell the buyers she was 18 if asked. She said she could always tell they were sexually aroused by how young she appeared. When they asked her how old she really was, she replied she was “11 years-old.”
Contrast this to the issue of gay rights. This issue gained a “voice” (and an acutely personal one) when gay men and women “came out” and often went beyond that to celebrate the meaning of their partnership.
December is Universal Month for Human Rights. Appropriately enough this month contains International Human Rights Day (Dec. 10th). Honor this time of year by reading and sharing the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, created over 70 years ago this month.