On February 15, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing, “Ending Modern Slavery: Building on Success.” The hearing focused on improvements to anti-trafficking legislation, technology, and programs for combating sex trafficking.
During the hearing, Ashton Kutcher, co-founder, Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children, drew connections between the foster care system and sex trafficking, stating that “between 50 and 98 percent of identified child victims of commercial sexual exploitation have previously been involved with the child welfare system.”
Elisa Massimo, president and chief executive officer, Human Rights First, also emphasized the link between human trafficking and the refugee crisis; reducing the vulnerability of the refugee population would help combat the sex trafficking of migrant women and unaccompanied children.
