As per the recent report released by the United Nations (UN), women account to around 71 % of the total victims battling with modern slavery, which may appear to be impacting the world population without any gender bias.
Though, modern slavery is precisely about the gender discrimination, as enumerated in the report named, “Stacked Odds” which highlights the fact that modern slavery is fueled by power imbalances which is pertaining to women and girls, aggravated by gender discrimination and inequality.
The report draws attention to the significant fact that every one woman in 130 is a victim of modern slavery. It is the female population in majority encountering sexual exploitation in work culture (99%), forced marriages (84%) and forced labour (58%).
The report further lays emphasis on the parameters of education and medical care, which is not relatively accessible for girl children in various countries, thereby making them more prone to poverty. “Women are more likely to end up in poverty, to work in the riskiest sectors of the informal economy – and ultimately, in modern slavery – than men.”
Women surpass men as modern slavery victims in four from five world regions, with statistically 73 % in Asia and Pacific, 71% in Africa, 67% in Europe and Central Asia and 63% in American continents.
The UN report has retrieved six suggestions to be a part of Action Plan. The suggestions focus on criminalizing all types of modern slavery, amend laws for child-marriage prohibition in respective countries, higher priority for education, especially girl children. A part of the plan is to have stronger rights for women in terms of harassment faced in work culture and rights pertaining to property and ownership laws.
The report states, “At its core, the fight against modern slavery is about ensuring people have the most basic of human rights – freedom.”
