Senator Jamilah Nasheed to Host Sex Trafficking Awareness Day at the State Capitol
JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, announced details surrounding Missouri’s annual Sex Trafficking Awareness Day at the State Capitol. The annual event will take place on Jan. 23, 2018. The event is intended to shine light on the dangers of sex trafficking in Missouri and provide lawmakers and the public with vital information regarding the issue. One in 6 of the 18,500 runways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2016 were likely sex trafficking victims. Globally, the International Labor Organization estimates that there are more than 4.5 million people trapped in forced sexual exploitation.
“Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery,” stated Sen. Nasheed. “These horrific acts are cruel and affect thousands here in Missouri and millions globally. We need to do everything we can to shine a bright light on this issue and empower those being held against their will and forced into sex trafficking.”
The annual Sex Trafficking Awareness Day will begin with a networking event at 8:00 a.m. in the State Capitol’s 3rd floor rotunda. The networking event will provide an opportunity for individuals to receive information about the dangers of human trafficking in Missouri and learn from advocates and experts on what the public can do to stop these horrific crimes. Following the event, a rally will take place at 1:00 p.m. in the State Capitol’s 1st floor rotunda. At the rally, participants will hear from advocates, lawmakers and others on what they can do to help stop human trafficking in Missouri.
“Together we can work to put an end to these devastating crimes and hold those responsible accountable for their actions,” stated Sen. Nasheed. “We will not sit idly by as our brothers and sisters are forced into modern-day slavery through human trafficking.”
For more information on the event, please contact Sen. Nasheed’s office at 573-751-4415.