Contemporary Slavery Practices Across Global Regions: A Systematic Review

Contemporary slavery continues to be a widespread but insufficiently examined problem, appearing in various forms across different parts of the world even after extensive abolitionist campaigns. This systematic literature review explores the historical, geographical, and sociocultural aspects of slavery practices, with the objective of synthesizing current knowledge and pinpointing areas where comprehension of their continuity and transformation remains incomplete. Our analysis centers on three primary aspects: the historical and geographical contexts shaping regional slavery practices, globalization’s influence on contemporary slavery, and the social and cultural elements sustaining these practices. A systematic approach was adopted to locate, assess, and examine pertinent academic sources, which resulted in a thorough review of the existing literature. The results indicate notable geographical variations in slavery practices, as some regions display deeply rooted systems stemming from historical legacies, economic dependencies, or weak governance. Globalization has simultaneously intensified and concealed these practices, fostering transnational trafficking while making detection and intervention more difficult. Social and cultural norms, such as caste systems and gender disparities, continue to uphold slavery in certain settings. The review underscores the need for interdisciplinary approaches to address slavery’s root causes and advocates for targeted policy interventions. Through the synthesis of dispersed research, this study establishes a basis for subsequent inquiries and underscores the critical need to address modern manifestations of slavery.