Title
Authorizing the Council Committee on Children and Youth to hold public hearings examining the response to human trafficking in the City of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the Council of the City of Philadelphia to ensure relevant government entities are prioritizing the safety of children; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS) defines human trafficking as a form of modern-day slavery that occurs both within the United States and around the world; and
WHEREAS, According to DBHIDS, sex trafficking generates $99 billion a year, with 4.5 million people forced into sexual exploitation. Similarly, labor trafficking generates $51 billion a year, with 21 million people across the world falling prey to labor traffickers; and
WHEREAS, One in six runaways are likely to become victims of sex trafficking; and
WHEREAS, In February of 2023, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that eight women between the ages of 14 and 17 were forced into prostitution at the Days Inn on the Roosevelt Boulevard; and
WHEREAS, After surviving the horrors of trafficking, individuals are often stigmatized by cultural and societal biases. Their victimization and subsequent societal devaluation may lead them to experience extreme poverty, public shame, and being prohibited from marrying, as well as the potential for re-exploitation. Cultural barriers to survivor inclusion and empowerment may stem from several factors that limit the safety, rights, and economic freedom of marginalized individuals and communities; and
WHEREAS, These factors, among others, may prevent survivors from publicly identifying because it would lead to increased marginalization or other negative repercussions, such as being criminalized rather than identified as a victim; and
WHEREAS, Regardless of the circumstances that led an individual to being trafficked, the impact of cultural barriers remains constant: shame and embarrassment that pre...
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