By Sr. Carmen Ugarte García, Talitha Kum International Associate Coordinato

September 23rd is commemorated as the International Day Against Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Women, Girls, and Boys. In Latin America and the Caribbean, this day holds special significance. The region serves as a source, transit, and destination for human trafficking for sexual exploitation. 

The UNODC estimates that 41% of detected victims of sexual exploitation in Central America and the Caribbean are women, and the remaining 59% are under the age of 18 – making it the biggest trafficking hub for children in the world.

Trafficking in Latin America is exacerbated by constant migration flows, digital recruitment through social media, and severe gender-based violence, rooted in historical inequality and machismo. Powerful organized criminal networks are deeply embedded in the continent and make kidnapping a common practice in pursuit of exploitation. In particular, every 90 minutes, 1 person went missing in Mexico this past year (Red Lupa).

When discussing these issues it is common to focus on the traffickers and the victims, but very little is said about the male sexual demand that sustains this industry – a demand that traffickers are committed to fulfilling. Based on my 43 years of experience supporting women involved in prostitution, I can say that, if sexual exploitation still exists, it is because there is a market that finances it. For every exploited woman, and every child, there is a financial transaction; and with every transaction, there are “consumers,” predominantly men, who decide to pay. 

The consumption of sexual services has never been a private act; prostitution is the driving force of a system that commodifies human life. The consumers represent a massive collective that is deliberately ignored. Pastoral Orientations emphasize, "If so many young women are victims of trafficking and end up on the streets of our cities, it is because many men here—young, middle-aged, and old—demand these services and are willing to pay to satisfy their pleasure."

To create a more just and humane society today, requires a paradigm shift; it means dismantling the complex systems that allow human trafficking to continue growing. We must separate sexuality from economic power, and challenge the culture that normalizes sexual services and assumes that another person's body can become a usable and disposable commodity. Let's reflect: for a woman, can there be true freedom or consent when coercion, economic necessity, or a lack of opportunities are involved? The “consumer” should consider the circumstances that led that woman to that space, and begin to recognize her as a person with inherent dignity: it is an ethical duty.

Talitha Kum invites us to build a world where all people are treated with dignity and to adopt effective strategies to end the demand for sexual exploitation. Each and every one of us has the power to transform our community. We need to move from being spectators to becoming agents of change, raising our voices, and demanding protection – especially for those trapped in situations of exploitation. 

Driven by the conviction that dignity is not negotiable, the Rahamim Network was founded in Mexico, on this day, ten years ago. In Hebrew, the word Rahamim evokes a deep compassion and a sacred care for life. Over these years, the network has grown in its commitment and dedicated itself to the prophetic mission of defending and caring for those at risk and those affected by trafficking and exploitation, and advocating for the dignity of every human being.

Celebrating ten years of the Rahamim Network's presence means looking back with gratitude on the journey we have taken in the face of exploitation. It is expressing gratitude for its expansion to different locations, where each local team reaches out to address concrete and urgent realities: the cries of women suffering sexual exploitation, migrants crossing our paths seeking better living conditions, young people falling into the trap of false promises, children being taken away, or anguished mothers searching for their sons and daughters.

Celebrating ten years of the Rahamim Network's presence also means to envision a future of hope, that these ten years may be the driving force for more people to join the Talitha Kum network, in Mexico and around the world. May the wisdom and Spirit of God always remain within the network so that we may continue to defend life with mercy, healing, empowering, and restoring the dignity of so many brothers and sisters.

Photo Credits: Red Rahamim Mexico, Mexico City, August 2026.