January is widely recognized as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. This designation was first made in 2010 when President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation hoping to raise awareness about modern-day slavery and human trafficking. Since then, many groups use this month to educate the public about how to identify and prevent human trafficking. The public can enhance this awareness and show solidarity with survivors on January 11th, also known as “Wear Blue Day.” National Human Trafficking Prevention Month highlights the ongoing crime of human trafficking — using force, fraud, or coercion for labor or sex exploitation — and encourages collective action from communities, governments, and individuals to combat it.

The human condition should never be a secondary consideration in supply chain operations. As President and CEO of a company that works in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sector of the supply chain, I’m very aware that slavery and forced labor remain a challenge in many value chains. Efforts to eliminate this scourge has proven difficult. As the staff at Free the Slaves explains, “Modern slavery is a hidden crime woven into the fabric of our global society, affecting tens of millions of people and generating billions in illicit profits for traffickers and corporations that benefit from the cheap labor they provide.”[1] You can learn more about forced labor, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labor by taking a quiz created by Alliance 8.7. The following video depicts some of the ways that slavery and human trafficking exist in the world today.

Last year, the State Department noted, “There are estimated to be more than 27.6 million people — adults and children — subjected to human trafficking around the world, including in the United States. Traffickers often take advantage of instability caused by natural disasters, conflict, or a pandemic to exploit others.”[2] Whether those millions of people are trafficked as slaves or forced laborers — or for other nefarious purposes — fighting human trafficking needs constant attention. The staff at Hope for Justice writes, “It is a key time for us all as individuals to educate ourselves about human trafficking and crucially to learn to spot the signs of trafficking. It is also a time for us take these messages to our workplaces, our churches, our schools, our representatives and everywhere else.”[3] The U.S. Department of the Interior notes that National Human Trafficking Prevention Month is also a time to “recognize the efforts of those who work tirelessly to prevent and eliminate this inhumane and devastating form of abuse and exploitation.”[4]

The Office on Trafficking in Persons, in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, notes that the theme for this year’s observation of Human Trafficking Prevention Month is: “Stronger Connections. Stronger Futures.”[5] The staff explains, “The theme for Human Trafficking Prevention Month 2026 reminds us that our everyday connections play a vital role in preventing human trafficking. Research shows that strong relationships at home, in our communities, and in our workplaces are protective factors against human trafficking and other forms of abuse. Traffickers may target individuals who feel alone or unsupported. When people are connected to caring families, neighbors, and professionals, they are more likely to have someone who notices when something does not seem right and offers help. By investing in everyday actions — checking in, listening, creating welcoming spaces, building trust, and offering support — we strengthen resilience and help create a future free from human trafficking.”

You might not believe that, as an individual, you can have much impact on human trafficking. As part of a group, however, your impact is greater. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA makes that important point in two different ways. First, the Association notes, “All over the world people will be wearing blue articles of clothing on January 11, in observance of the annual #WearBlueDay, to encourage greater public awareness about the scourge of human trafficking.”[5] You can also be a part of that movement. Second, to its members, the Association explains, “Human trafficking is a billion-dollar business, but Flight Attendants can be 100,000 Eyes in the Skies to recognize and report it. We can be the ones to make the difference.” You can add your eyes to theirs.

The Henry Whittemore Library has put together a list of resources that can be used to educate yourself, locate organizations fighting slavery and human slavery trafficking, and ways you can help the cause. Last year, the State Department observed, “Despite the nearly worldwide adoption of international and domestic norms to address and prevent human trafficking, we continue to witness traffickers exploit people in the United States and around the world. But everyone has the power to help make a difference. Every Presidential proclamation for January ends with a call to action for all Americans to recognize the vital role everyone can play in combating all forms of human trafficking.” It’s a call to action that deserves to be heeded.

Footnotes

[1] Staff, “Modern Slavery,” Free the Slaves.

[2] Staff, “National Human Trafficking Prevention Month,” U.S. Department of State, 20 January 2025.

[3] Staff, “National Human Trafficking Prevention Month,” Hope for Justice.

[4] Staff, “National Human Trafficking Prevention Month,” U.S. Department of the Interior.

[5] Staff, “Human Trafficking Prevention Month,” Office on Trafficking in Persons in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 22 January 2025.

[6] Staff, “January is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month,” Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, 2 January 2026.