United Way & Chamber Spotlight Corporate Efforts Against Human Trafficking

July 30th is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. On this day each year, United Way joins organizations, businesses, and governments around the world to raise awareness of human trafficking and highlight the work being done to combat it. Human trafficking is the act of compelling someone to engage in work or commercial sex for little or no pay through force, fraud, or coercion.

It's a global issue affecting more than 40 million people, touching all sectors and all industries in all countries. 

As an essential stakeholder, the business community steps up to the plate in important ways to halt human trafficking. Through strategic philanthropic investments and partnerships with non-governmental organizations, corporations support anti-trafficking efforts around the world. Companies also seek to eliminate this crime from their supply chains, engage in awareness-raising activities, and promote the development and implementation of best practices to combat human trafficking among their workforces.

United Way recently teamed up with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to highlight work being done by leading companies to fight human trafficking. The new report, Trust by Performance: Uniting Business and Philanthropy Against Trafficking, highlights innovative actions companies are taking to combat this issue. It emphasizes the important role business community and philanthropic sectors play. The corporations featured in the report are Deloitte, Delta, Marriott, Patagonia, and UPS, as well as technology leaders Counter Human Trafficking Compliance Solutions, Traffik Analysis Hub, and Verité.

“Human trafficking is a systemic injustice that no organization, corporation, or government can end alone,” said Angela F. Williams, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide, during the report’s launch event. “We must work together to end human trafficking. It’s the right thing to do, and from a business perspective it’s also the smart thing to do. The companies highlighted in this report, including a number of longtime United Way partners, exemplify this commitment through their inspiring initiatives, projects, and programs.” 

Learn more about the companies’ work by reading the full report here.

And you can learn more about United Way's Center to Combat Human Trafficking here.