Several dozen women yesterday kicked off what they said will be weekly protests in Lower Manhattan to push state lawmakers to pass stronger anti-human trafficking laws.

Although the state Legislature increased sex trafficking penalties last year after a string of high-profile prostitution raids by local and federal authorities, offenders convicted under last year’s legislation can still avoid prison time, a lawyer for the activist group Equality Now, Jane Manning, said.

The Empire State is not strict enough and federal officials have the resources only to go after the most egregious sex traffickers, protesters yesterday said.

Feminist Gloria Steinem told the crowd gathered in front of Manhattan Supreme Court that human trafficking was like American slavery — a scourge that requires a “modern abolitionist” movement.

“We can’t close our eyes to it,” Ms. Steinem said.

Government attempts to quantify the number of kidnapped women have been unreliable, but activists say thousands of women every year are forced to work in the sex trade as prostitutes, strippers, and masseuses.

A spokeswoman for Governor Spitzer, Christine Pritchard, said the new governor would “carefully consider any proposals that would strengthen protections against this atrocious practice.”

The speaker of the state Assembly, Sheldon Silver, is committed to passing a “strong” anti-human trafficking law this year, his spokeswoman, Sisa Moyo, said.

Future weekly protests will be held in Foley Square in Lower Manhattan.