3. Modern Slavery: Hidden in Plain Sight​

Many believe slavery ended with 19th-century abolition movements, but modern slavery persists—often hidden in everyday life. The International Labour Organization estimates over 50 million people are trapped in modern slavery, including forced labor, debt bondage, and human trafficking. Victims work in sweatshops making clothes, on fishing boats with no pay, as domestic servants held captive, or in the sex trade. Unlike historical slavery, modern slavery rarely uses chains; instead, it uses debt, threats, and isolation. Employers often target vulnerable groups: migrants without papers, the poor, or children. Consumers unknowingly buy products made by enslaved labor—coffee, chocolate, electronics. Ending modern slavery requires more than laws; it needs global awareness, corporate accountability, and support for victims to rebuild their lives.​

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