Please see a call to action from ECPAT - End Child Prostitution and Trafficking - to support passage of a bill to combat child and adolescent trafficking, a core issue of IOFA's work. IOFA is helping to implement the new Illinois Safe Children's Act that decriminalizes minors involved with the sex prostitution. It's difficult to imagine but before this law, a 15 year girl forced into prostitution in Chicago would be charged in juvenile court and not seen as a victim. It's through this legislation and the proposed bill described below that the US can better confront the problem of child trafficking and provide adequate response and support to its young victims.
Please take the time to make this call or sign the petition today!
From ECPAT:
We are gearing up for our Nov 17th National (Call-In) Day of Action to help pass HR 5575, the "Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010," to support young sex trafficking survivors and combat and address the sex trafficking of children across America. You can read a summary here: http://www.ecpatusa.org/EcpatUSA_PDF/HR5575Summary.pdf
In the United States, there are less than 100 beds in shelters prepared to provide assistance to child victims of sex trafficking. Yet an estimated 100,000 children are exploited in prostitution each year in this country.
If passed, HR 5575 would provide much needed funds for therapeutic services. It would also increase resources for law enforcement to arrest and prosecute the traffickers and predators that victimize our children.
Taking action and being a part of our National (Call-In) Day of Action on11.17 is as easy as 1,2,3
1. Find your member of Congress by going to http://www.house.gov/ and entering your complete zip code in the top left “Find Your Representative” section.
2. Call the House operator at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected with your representative's office. Once connected to your rep's office, urge them to support and pass H.R 5575. A sample call script is below:
"Hi, my name is________ , and I am a constituent living in [town/city]. I'm calling to urge Congress(woman/man)______ to co-sponsor and support H.R.5575, a bi-partisan bill that seeks to combat and address the sex trafficking of children in America. I am very concerned about this issue because despite the tens of thousands of victims who need help, only a handful of shelters and services exist to address their intensive needs. It's time for Congress to act. Will the Congress(woman/man) co-sponsor and support this important legislation?"
Taking action on Nov 17 will take less than 5 minutes but our collective action can give thousands of young sex trafficking victims across the U.S. the care and support they need and deserve.
The National Day of Action is being sponsored by the National Coalition to End Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (partial list): A Future. Not A Past., ECPAT-USA, Polaris Project, Rebecca Project, Shared Hope International and Women's Funding Network.
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