This year 1.2 million girls and boys were victims of child trafficking. That means they were taken from their families and sold into slavery, endured beatings, malnutrition and other abuse. And the rocketing demand for cheap labor and child prostitution means that more children will be trafficked in 2010 if we don’t make protecting them a global priority.

Young girls are particularly vulnerable, and they are frequently introduced to prostitution, trafficked as “mail order brides” or raped by their “employers.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed her commitment to stop human trafficking, but we need her continued help to make this issue a global priority in 2010. Known fact, right now only 1 in 10 countries have special police units to investigate trafficking of children and young people so it is urgent that we make a call, addressing this issue as a global priority.

Sign the petition urging Secretary of State Clinton to protect children and help end human trafficking.