2011 Assembly Joint Resolution 94
ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION
Relating to: proclaiming January 2012 as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month.
Whereas, adult human trafficking occurs when a person is recruited, harbored, obtained, or transported through force, fraud, or coercion for the purposes of sexual exploitation, commercial sex acts, or labor exploitation; and
Whereas, child sex trafficking occurs when a person under the age of eighteen is recruited, harbored, obtained, or transported for the purposes of sexual exploitation or commercial sex acts, regardless of whether force, fraud, or coercion was used; and
Whereas, human trafficking is the second largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world, recently found to account for $32 billion annually; and
Whereas, 80 percent of the millions of human trafficking victims worldwide are female and 50 percent of all trafficking victims are children; and
Whereas, it is estimated that 600,000 to 800,000 people are annually trafficked across international borders and 14,500 to 17,500 United States residents are annually forced into slavery; and
Whereas, the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance 2008 report “Hidden in Plain Sight" documents 200 reports of human trafficking in Wisconsin; and
Whereas, human trafficking is modern day slavery, a practice that is in direct opposition to the fundamental principles of liberty and human rights upon which our nation was founded; and
Whereas, the State of Wisconsin is committed to protecting human rights and individual freedom by eliminating human trafficking, including: early or forced marriage, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, labor obtained through debt bondage, involuntary servitude, slavery, and slavery by descent; and
Whereas, to combat human trafficking locally, and around the country and globe, people everywhere must be aware of the realities of human trafficking and must be dedicated to stopping it; and
Whereas, fighting slavery has the most impact when entire communities work together to address the problem; and
Whereas, a resolution passed by the United States Senate on June 22, 2007, has forever marked January 11th as a day of awareness and vigilance for the countless victims of human trafficking around the world; and
Whereas, more than one day a year should be dedicated to preventing and raising awareness of human trafficking; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the
assembly, the senate concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature proclaim January 2012 as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month in the State of Wisconsin; and, be it further
Resolved, That the assembly chief clerk shall provide copies of this resolution to SlaveFree Madison and the Zonta Club of Madison in recognition of their contributions to raising awareness of and response to human trafficking in Wisconsin.
