Woman Rowing Atlantic to Fight Human Trafficking
Boulder Colorado Woman to Row the Atlantic to Raise Awareness for Human Trafficking.
In an effort to increase worldwide awareness of human trafficking, a Boulder woman will take part in an all-female, international team that aims to make history rowing across the Atlantic Ocean in December. Following a route similar to Christopher Columbus’ maiden voyage, the journey is prepared to set a record as the first, all-female crew of six to row 3,000 miles unaided across the Atlantic. Andrea Quigley, of Boulder, will be the Row for Freedom team’s skipper, and she will be the only American citizen participating in the multinational team with the five other women from Great Britain. She is currently training in Boulder and abroad.
“There are so many atrocities in this world, but clearly human trafficking is one very deserving of more attention, awareness, and assistance,” Quigley said. “I see my participation in this row as taking an action that hopefully is extreme enough to get people to take notice and then to take action against this horrendous crime against humanity that is going on in every country in the world.” Quigley’s journey will not be her first at sea. The 45-year-old professional development coordinator is an avid rower and has spent the better part of seven years at sea having been part of the crew on Oceanographic ships, as well as managing a worldwide ocean temperature programme from container ships and tankers. This trip will mark her first philanthropic rowing challenge.
More than a century ago, the Atlantic was used to transport millions of slaves to the United States, and now Row for Freedom aims to raise awareness of modern-day slavery. Human trafficking results from the illegal trade of people for the purpose of forced labor, sexual exploitation, involuntary servitude, and many other forms. An estimated 27 million people are enslaved worldwide and approximately half of these are children, according to Free the Slaves, an international non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. Slavery is not legal anywhere, but it is happening everywhere, including the United States and Colorado. Each year, thousands of slaves are trafficked into the United States, according to Free the Slaves.