Domestic Servitude in Monterey County
Domestic Servitude in Monterey County, a type of Labor Trafficking you need to be aware of.
LaborTrafficking is a type of Human Trafficking that occurs when individuals are compelled by force, fraud, or coercion to perform labor or service within a household or commercial setting.
Labor Trafficking includes situations of debt bondage, forced labor, and involuntary child labor. Labor traffickers use violence, threats, lies, and other forms of coercion to force people to work against their will. This spans many industries as labor trafficking is highly profitable.
Common types of labor trafficking:
People forced to work in homes as domestic servants
Farmworkers coerced through violence as they harvest crops
Factory workers held in inhumane conditions with little to no pay.
How we help People who are victims of Labor Trafficking and Domestic Servitude in Monterey
During the 2019-2020 fiscal year, we served an increased number of survivors of labor trafficking; this is due to an increase in overall awareness and outreach to the county’s main areas of employment by the YWCA-MC and other local partners on the issue. Overall a quarter of our clients served experienced either labor trafficking or both labor and sex trafficking.
We begin providing services by assessing the survivor’s immediate needs including access to housing, therapy services or legal advocacy. Whatever the need, YWCA Monterey County demonstrated success in holistically working with clients.
Looking specifically at Salinas Valley, agricultural workers bring in sales of approximately $9 billion in produce annually with 67% of the nation’s lettuce produced here in the valley. Our county’s migrant population thrives in the agricultural market provided by Monterey County. The Department of State has identified agriculture as a primary source of labor trafficking for undocumented individuals seeking employment. This makes undocumented people in Monterey County especially susceptible to labor trafficking due to the substantial agricultural industry in Salinas valley. Additionally, Monterey County has a large hospitality sector that largely relies on a low-paid workforce.
YWCA-MC is a non-profit that relies on donations. Please consider donating to YWCA-MC so we can continue to provide services to the most vulnerable in our community.
