Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) and human trafficking are interwoven crises fueled by the same structural violence — and they must be addressed together through Indigenous-led, systemic solutions. So, to acknowledge this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9, we are unpacking this harrowing and ongoing interconnected crisis: the disproportionate number of MMIP, especially women, girls, and Two-Spirit individuals, who are victims of human trafficking. MMIP are often not isolated tragedies, but similiar to the the causes of trafficking, are a result
Speak free
What we're talking about right now.
No child should endure what I endured
Image: Me aged 7, just before I was trafficked. I want to share something vulnerable with you. When I was seven years old, I was forced into sex trafficking by someone who was supposed to take care of me. Part of my healing journey has been fighting for the freedom and recovery of others who have experienced human trafficking. For over 15 years, I’ve supported survivors and advocated for justice. But as the years have passed, I’ve become more and more committed to prevention because I can’t bear the thought of one more child being exploited or abused. I’m asking you
Child sex trafficking reveals the need for action
Faced with the horrific news of child sex trafficking ahead of World Day Against Human Trafficking this Wednesday, I am reflecting on the desperate need for change. This week police in Bibb County, Alabama arrested three more people in connection to a child sex trafficking ring discovered earlier this year, bringing the total arrested to seven. Police warn of “more suspects and more victims” to be found. The power of awareness Prosecutions of the perpetrators and strong penalties are an essential part of justice for survivors of all forms of trafficking. But it is not the only
Rebuilding in Uncertainty: Survivor Leadership as our New Foundation
Written by Minh Dang, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Survivor Alliance, and Lena Sinha, inaugural Director of The Life Story Introduction The progress we have made toward institutionalizing survivor leadership is at risk. For decades, a robust, multidisciplinary community worked to build organizations and systems that respond to human trafficking and exploitation—creating pathways to safety, stability, and healing. Although we may not always recognize it, survivors have driven this progress, challenging systems to be more just, more effective, and more compassionate. Survivors
“Exploitation is no picnic”: Delivering your ask for corporate accountability to the UK government
As families across the UK dig out their blankets and baskets during National Picnic Week, Freedom United with the Corporate Justice Coalition is serving a different kind of meal to 10 Downing Street and the Department of Business and Trade: a symbolic “hamper of harms”. Why? Because exploitation is no picnic. From exploitative child labor in cobalt mines powering electric cars, to Uyghur forced labor in the cotton woven into our clothes, to the poverty wages behind the tea in our mugs and the berries on our plates—harm to people and the planet is embedded within everyday goods