WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) marks UN World Day Against Trafficking in Persons amid ongoing efforts to ensure that counter-trafficking public awareness and outreach materials for the transportation sector are trauma-informed, survivor-centered, and culturally responsive.
“Everyone — whether you’re a frontline transportation worker or a member of the general public—has a role to play in detecting and preventing human trafficking,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “As we recognize UN World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, we have an opportunity to further educate the traveling public on how to recognize and report suspected human trafficking and combat these sinister crimes.”
Human trafficking is a crime that involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain labor or a commercial sex act. The 2021 National Outreach Survey on Transportation found that 81% of 107 survivors of human trafficking utilized transportation during their recruitment, 76% used transportation during the course of their exploitation, and 52% stated that transportation facilitated their exit or escape from their trafficking situation.
To advance innovative and shareable solutions to combat human trafficking in the transportation sector, USDOT is proud to administer its annual $50,000 Combating Human Trafficking in Transportation Impact Awards. Secretary Buttigieg announced the following 2024 winners:
- 1st Place: TAT (formerly Truckers Against Trafficking) for their “Youth on Transportation Initiative” proposal to develop a community-wide training and awareness campaign focused on youth, families, and adults.
- 2nd Place: Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for their “Project S.O.A.R.” proposal to develop a multimodal comprehensive awareness campaign, enhance training, and expand partnerships to support victims.
- 3rd Place: The Oklahoma Transit Association for expanding their “Rolling Oklahoma Classroom” to provide regional access through their mobile human trafficking awareness vehicle in eight surrounding states to raise awareness for rural and tribal communities.