Prevent Human Trafficking

Ginny Baxter, Program Vice President

March 7, 2020

A problem currently in the news is Human Trafficking. Prostitution has
been with us for millennia. The difference today is that Human Trafficking has
become the second most profitable industry after drug trafficking. One in
three teens are recruited within forty-eight hours after they have run away
from home or foster care.

Gems Uncovered is a local Long Beach non-profit which reaches out to these victims nightly in Long Beach along Pacific Coast Highway as well as other venues. They run a drop-in Center to help both males and females assimilate into society.  They offer short- and long-term housing, trauma care, career alternatives in addition to other resources.  Awareness workshops are held to educate the public. Mary White,  Executive Director of the program, will inform us on what to look for if you
suspect unusual behavior in a public place.

In the book, My Name is Freedom, Melodie Fox told of a Chinese woman whose parents sold her into slavery, another type of Human Trafficking. This enslaved woman lived in Taiwan but was eventually brought to an Orange County home as a servant. She had no education, no opportunity to better her situation. A neighbor believed she was held against her will
and offered help.

Melodie, author and editor for Square Tree Publishing, lives in
southern California where she divides her time between writing and
working as an educator/project coordinator for a local college and nonprofit
educational foundation. Creator of Enthusiastic Books, she loves
combining her creative talents with teaching tools, equipping educators
and inspiring people.

In both situations the women live in fear. They are abused and
trapped. Our speakers will share their experiences with AAUW on Saturday,
March 7 at the Golden Sails Inn. Come and learn how we can help.