Search

How a Twitter Story Made You Aware of Sex Trafficking

In my recent blog Visual Stereotypes I went over some of the main reasons why sensational images of human trafficking are harmful and ignore other types of labor exploitation. In light of a recent trending topic on social media, I wanted to address s

Restavek Freedom in Haiti - Rose

“In 2010, you know the earthquake [happened]. And my mom was dead. So, I was in a camp of men and women, and they took care of me. And then I met a woman named Anna. She was with the organization IOM (International Organization for Migration), and sh

How It's Made: Child Labor Tarnished Jewelry

Whether a trinket from a department store or a custom-made diamond encrusted piece, jewelry is an accessory constantly produced to meet the demands of fast fashion and luxury goods consumers alike. Behind the glitter and sparkle, however, are the for

Run / Walk / Bike / Climb for Freedom

With the 5K about to begin, the highest fundraiser that day stepped behind the starting line and prepared to run. On her prosthetic leg, she’d placed a bright pink strip of duct tape bearing the name of a woman still trapped in slavery. Growing up in

History of Prostitution and Sex Trafficking in Thailand

Prostitution and sex trafficking in Thailand are highly visible and strongly discussed topics in the contemporary antislavery field. Social attitudes, political interventions and economic realities have shaped the conditions that allow the two practi

Historians Against Slavery Conference Recap

Last week, Historians Against Slavery hosted “Using History to Make Slavery History” at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Over the course of three days, panelists and participants discussed topics ranging from activism to business sol

Challenges of Running an Aftercare Shelter

In 2014 we visited the Open Door Foundation, the only aftercare emergency shelter for female sex trafficking victims in Romania. Its founder, Monica Boseff, was named a Trafficking in Persons Report Hero and invited us to visit her shelter in Buchare

She was Forced to Work Making Electronics

After a morning of formal interviews, lunch at the Vietnamese Migrant Workers and Brides Office was a welcome chance to get to know the staff and residents in a more relaxed environment. Over a meal of steamed rice, vegetables, fish and chicken, we s

Social Media Raises $2 Million to End Bonded Labor

One of the main forms of slavery in the world today is bonded labor. This is also known as debt bondage, and it happens when people inherit a debt or are forced to work in slave-like conditions to pay off a loan. Bonded labor is often made to look li

What the Human Trafficking Movement Can Learn from the AIDS Movement Success

The anti-human trafficking world loves its statistics. They sound so dramatic, don’t they? You can hear them passed around at dinner parties, anti-slavery trainings and you might even hear one on a C-SPAN senate hearing. Nothing gets people excited l