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To: Steven Marshall, Premier of South Australia

Stop Modern Slavery in South Australia

This campaign has ended.

Modern slavery is a gross violation of human rights whereby a human being is reduced to nothing more than a commodity for profit.

There is evidence that slavery and slavery-like practices occur in South Australia, taking many different forms including: forced marriage, partner visa holder servitude, labour exploitation and forced labour, and commercial and domestic sexual exploitation. There is also evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these matters in this State.

We need a state inquiry to investigate slavery and slavery-like practices in Adelaide and regional South Australia.

Everyone can help give a voice to those who are currently voiceless. Everyone can play a part to help all those suffering under these conditions.

Please, sign and share this petition to call for a state inquiry into slavery and slavery-like practices in South Australia.

For more information, please visit the Stop Modern Slavery SA Facebook page @SMSSouthAustralia and Twitter page @stopslaverysa

Why is this important?

Stop Modern Slavery SA is a campaign started with the goal to shine a light on the exploitative practices occurring currently in South Australia.

Modern slavery is very much a reality in our world today, including here in South Australia. However, these practices remain largely hidden. The International Labour Organization estimates there are over 40 million people trapped in situations of slavery worldwide. Australia is no exception.

No more is slavery a picture of someone in chains. It is much more complex and much more hidden but just as prevalent, if not more with an estimate of one in 200 people being enslaved.

In South Australia there is evidence that modern slavery can take many forms including:

• Forced Marriage - Forcing, coercing or tricking someone to marry another person, against their will and without their consent. Victims of forced marriage are often under 18.

• Partner Visa Holder Servitude - After entering into a legitimate marriage and arriving in Australia, victims are forced or coerced into domestic, commercial and/or sexual servitude. In these cases, the person is deprived of their freedom and is forced to perform services with no pay and in exploitative working conditions.

• Labour Exploitation and Forced Labour - People are forced to work in exploitative working conditions (long hours without breaks, in extreme heat or cold), are paid well below minimum wage (wage theft), sometimes not at all and are, at times, physically and/or sexually abused. Exorbitant debts are sometimes created for the victim to have to repay before they are free to cease working. The most common industries for forced labour/labour exploitation in South Australia are agriculture/horticulture, food and entertaining and cleaning.

• Domestic and Commercial Sexual Exploitation - Where someone is forced to perform sex work/sexual services against their consent.

Many people living in South Australia would not realise there are women and men, and children as young as 14 years old trapped in slavery and slavery-like conditions in metropolitan Adelaide and rural South Australia. It has recently been exposed that these practices are a reality here.

Many of us would be appalled to realise this is happening all around us.

Victims are alone, isolated and living in fear of violence or repercussions if they try to leave these conditions.

Within the cycle of modern slavery, victims can go on to continue the exploitation of others.

We need to act today to understand who are forcing or coercing people to stay in exploitative conditions, who are encouraging these practices and to get victims the help they need to stop the cycle from continuing and leading to more people to become trapped in modern slavery.

#stopslaverySA

Updates

2020-09-11 11:14:08 +1000

100 signatures reached

2020-09-04 12:16:01 +1000

50 signatures reached

2020-08-26 13:55:29 +1000

25 signatures reached

2020-08-24 18:36:48 +1000

10 signatures reached