There is more priority placed on some people’s lives than others

As this is a fairly new topic and not addressed as strongly as it should be, it is not something people would normally come across. However, because I feel strongly about it I have conducted some research on how it is impacting people. It is scary for me to know that I am living my life but, across the world, women are being trafficked and children are being taken as slaves. The issue with Boko Haram, for example, is disguised as human trafficking, but in its roots, it is slavery and having no regard for human life and human rights. So, it is quite scary as a young woman to think that I could have been facing similar circumstances and the only reason it is not happening to me is because I am in a better circumstance than other people.

The reality is that it is the result of failed systems, especially if you look at Libyan slave trade, for example. When these issues happen in countries that are more economically developed, we are more willing to raise money and address it as an issue on its own. But when it happens in slightly sketchy areas, they are not addressed. It could be because there is not enough information but also because we might not be willing to fight for people’s rights and many of the celebrities and politicians might not use their own platform to raise awareness. You can definitely see the divides between countries and societies.

The way I look at it is that there are different truths that everybody faces in the world, if I don’t learn about other people’s situations and try to raise awareness, I feel that it is a waste of my resources and the privileges I have.

From Ms Sara Atassi| Pupil living in Dubai