Sarah said that the two-hundredth anniversary of the Act of Parliament that abolished the trafficking of slaves across the Atlantic from Africa to the Caribbean had taken took place in March.  This event has helped to raise awareness that forms of slavery exist today and need to be addressed.  Slavery was abolished in 1833, the year of William Wilberforce's death, but the system of 'apprenticeship' was not abolished until 1839, due to the efforts of Thomas Clarkson and other campaigners, some of whose descendants are today trustees of the society. The Anti-Slavery Society was formed in 1839 because continuing colonial practices resulted in virtual slavery for many men, women and children:  the society has carried on its work to the present day.

Today, although the term 'slavery' still calls to mind the plantations, it is estimated that there are 12.3 million men, women and children in contemporary forms of slavery.  In 1926 the League of Nations defined slavery in terms of ownership.  This narrow definition was supplemented in 1956 when the UN included the practices of serfdom, bonded labour and child labour in a convention on slave trade and practices.  Anti-slavery International seeks to work within the terms of these two definitions.

As slavery is characterized by restriction of freedom of movement, human trafficking for sexual exploitation, bonded labour, and debt bondage are all practices which are included in the Society's work.  Debt bondage workers have no control over their conditions of work or the charges made for their accommodation;  they are trapped because they will never be able to repay their loan.  Bonded labour can operate as part of a caste system, as in parts of India for example.  In Burma, the military have forced certain ethnic groups to work on the roads.  In Sudan, in the civil war between the north and south prior to Darfur, many women and children were seized and forced into labour. Some children are slaves who are unable to go to school because they are kept working in a state of forced labour on farms, harvesting crops, looking after animals, and doing tasks for the family.  Moreover, some children are forced to

become child soldiers or child prostitutes, or are forced into child pornography. Children need to be removed immediately from all these situations, and to achieve this aim Anti-Slavery International works in conjunction with ECPAT.

Anti-Slavery International is especially involved in domestic service forced labour.  Work in the home is not governed by labour laws because the home is a private space.  Therefore Anti-Slavery International works with various partners in order to change the culture that results in children being enslaved in domestic service.  There is also a form of slavery which is based on a child being born into a slave caste, where a person is seen as being owned by another person.  In the case of nomadic tribes, the child travels with the family looking after the animals and performing domestic tasks, and is usually sexually abused by their master.  They need permission to marry, or a marriage is arranged.  In all cases Anti-Slavery International works with local organizations, giving the local workers training and financial assistance in their efforts to rescue people from slavery.

In reply to questions Sarah said that the overall majority of people who are enslaved are women and girls; and about equal numbers of men and women are in forced labour.  Sometimes whole families are enslaved.  It can happen both legally and illegally.  Through the social structures set up by the caste system, people are very poor and taking loans makes them very vulnerable: they have nowhere to go for help if they are poorly treated.  Often they do not speak the language of the country where they are working. There is a need for all immigration officers to be trained to recognize trafficked children through asking suitable questions.

Anti-Slavery International works also with ECPAT and Kalayaan.