Hawaii has become a hub for human trafficking, with an estimated thousands of girls and women trafficked into the sex trade each year. Many trafficked girls are as young as 13-14 and are brought to Hawaii from the U.S. mainland, often under the false promise of love or employment. They are then coerced or drugged into prostitution and forced to see 10-20 men per day to earn $1000 for their traffickers. Local organizations like Ho'ola Na Pua are working to rehabilitate trafficked girls and help them rebuild their lives.

1. Human Trafficking in Hawaii
Amanda Lyzwinski

2. Hawaii is home to the loving culture of aloha. It
is a beautiful island that is a number one
tourist spot for rest and relaxation

3. Yet a growing number of human trafficking
cases have been unearthed.

4. There are 150 brothels reported in Oahu alone.
Estimates of trafficked girls and women are in the
thousands each year.

5. Girls are usually brought in at the early teen
years, many come from stable families. They
are forced to make $1000 a day, this requires
seeing around 10-20 men a day.

6. Pimps use a technique called, ”boyfriending” to start
them out. They will get close to the girls then coerce
or drug them into the trade.

7. Girls stay for a few months in Hawaii and then
are shipped to other large cities. Many cannot
escape the mentality or the environment for the
rest of their lives

8. Hawaii’s legislation on trafficking is one of the
worst in the nation. Victims can be charged if they
turn to police and are forced to testify against their
abusers

9. Ho’ola Na Pua is a local organization that has
taken on the battle against sex trafficking. They
created a home for trafficked girls that rehabilitates
them into normal life.

10. Started in 2007, Ho’olo takes girls out of the street
mentality and allow them to heal and build
relationships that increase their self worth

11. Another solution could be educating parents
on prevention and signs that their daughter
might be targeted. As many girls come from
stable homes.

12. Sources
• http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/01/paradise-lost-
sex-trafficking-hawaii-160120111423579.html
• https://hoolanapua.org
• Pictures:
• https://pixabay.com/