It’s Time for Us All to Become Aware of the Evils of Human Trafficking

Amelia Torres, Staff Writer

I stumbled across a video on twitter a while ago that caught my attention and I haven’t gone a day since without thinking about it.

Actor Ashton Kutcher is a huge advocate for the prevention of human trafficking. Recently, Kutcher — alongside Human Rights First President and CEO Elisa Massimino — testified  at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on efforts to end modern slavery and human trafficking. The video of this testimony is what I came across, and one particular moment in it is what has left such a large impression on me.  

In his testimony, Kutcher tells the story of  a young girl who he describes as being around the age of three, being raped by an American man who was a sex tourist traveling in Cambodia. As he tells the story about such an emotional topic, Kutcher is just able to hold his composure. It is clear that he is also angered and  serious about the topic and his work. Following this story and others, Kutcher  explains that his involvement with preventing human trafficking is a way to preserve the happiness he wants his daughter to pursue in life and being a role model for his son as the leader and speaker for a life changing-organization. The video that Kutcher witnessed was a huge red flag to him and is what made him dedicate himself to making sure his work to prevent this heinous crime is taken seriously and will be effective in some way  to protect all the little girls and women across the globe.

Kutcher also appeared on the Today Show, several months after the testimony,  to share news about his involvement with a show called “The Ranch” on Netflix and, more importantly, to share the news about the foundation he and his ex-wife Demi Moore established called Thorn. The foundation’s website states their mission; as “We partner across the tech industry, government and NGOs and leverage technology to combat predatory behavior, rescue victims, and protect vulnerable children.”

On the show, Kutcher was not only able to  share the great news that the foundation has helped identify over 2,000 traffickers and over 6,000 people being shipped around the globe, but he also shared that his next goal will be eliminate child pornography entirely.

Seeing Kutcher on television and experiencing his passion for such an important topic makes me feel empowered. I believe that it is my duty as a woman and a teenage girl to help advocate the safety of girls when using the Internet and being safe in their own homes, in school and in public. Kutcher is helping society — across class, racial, and national lines — to show how vulnerable, young girls can be affected and the impact these traffickers have on these woman, simply due to the lack of resources provided to these girls. I ask that anyone with social media like Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest to advocate for and with Kutcher’s organization to help these young girls who could have their entire lives ruined by people who need to be redirected and helped because of their behavior.

We can make a change in one little girl’s life if we stop the illegal markets that hide behind the dark places of the Internet. If we allow the passionate words of  a father who, despite his success as an actor, producer, and director, knows that his role as a parent and protector is his most important, then we can save these young women from lives of exploitation.