How COVID-19 and Emergency Relief Have Impacted The Dressember Network
This year has looked different than many of us have imagined. We are all familiar with the impact COVID-19 has had on our own lives. Whether it be working from home, losing a job, losing a loved one, adjusting to outdoor dining or anything in between, we have all felt the weight of the pandemic. For some, this time has been heavier than others. Over the course of COVID-19, organizations in the Dressember Network have also been uniquely affected by the pandemic.
Members of the Dressember Network have had to pivot in order to continue their work with victims and survivors of trafficking. In-person training events that are intended to prevent trafficking were moved to virtual platforms or canceled. For others, there was a need for resources in order to assist survivors with finances, as jobs have been lost.
The effects of the pandemic have been undeniable. According to the Polaris Project, the number of situations in which people required emergency shelter more than doubled with the rise of COVID-19. Additionally, the number of crisis trafficking situations increased by more than 40%. There was a 70% increase in probable trafficking cases involving pornography and online interactive sex acts at the onset of the pandemic.
A scholar studies through Love 146’s program.
One of our Dressember Network partners, Pathfinders, supports and empowers youth at risk from trafficking in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, giving survivors opportunities to lead and speak into programming and services. Pathfinders works with youth facing issues like homelessness; sexual abuse, trafficking and exploitation; mental illness; and other types of trauma. The programs were in need of hygiene products as supply chains were disrupted when products such as hand sanitizer and toilet paper sold out of stores. A lack of access to hygiene products, especially non-toxic ones, left affected youth more vulnerable and less protected during the pandemic.
Similarly to Pathfinders, youthSpark, Dressember’s local partner in Atlanta, Georgia provides critical services to youth. Many of the young people youthSpark and Pathfinders serve have experienced trauma, racism, discrimination, exploitation, and poverty - and since the pandemic, they’ve lost social support and structure and there’s really no timeline for when safety and stability will return. Both organizations are adapting services when available to be digital and remain fully operational to support youth at risk of trafficking. Executive director of youthSpark Jennifer Swain said, “COVID-19 will limit our contact, but not our impact!”
IJM (International Justice Mission) has continued its work globally. Dressember partners with IJM in several different hotspots for trafficking around the world; IJM has been striving to meet the immediate needs of communities that have been heavily impacted by COVID-19. In India, IJM aims to meet immediate needs for survivors of sex trafficking, as they are recovering from extremely vulnerable situations. IJM also expressed that their team in the Philippines is seeing an increase in online exploitation. This team works to stop the abuse of children through online webcam livestreams. With stay-at-home orders and quarantine precautions, many Western perpetrating customers are now at home with their computers all day. This has led to a spike in demand for cybersex trafficking, leaving children more vulnerable than ever.
“COVID-19 will limit our contact, but not our impact.”
In the middle of March, Dressember launched an emergency COVID-19 campaign in response to the pandemic. This campaign was launched to provide immediate resources for members of the Dressember Network, specifically Restore NYC and Love 146. Restore NYC exists to eradicate sex trafficking in New York City. Additionally, this organization works to restore the well-being and independence of foreign-national survivors through client services, housing and economic empowerment. As many as 80% of the survivors they serve lost their jobs at the onset of COVID, Dressember’s COVID-19 relief fund has helped cover the living expenses of trafficking survivors and provide immediate cash assistance for survivors experiencing job loss.
Love 146 provides prevention education, survivor care, professional training and empowerment in the US and the Philippines. This is done through safe homes for children at risk of being trafficked, as well as through training with law enforcement, teachers and social workers. As youth are now at home, there is a need for resources to equip them for success while they are in the house. If youth run away, they are at a greater risk of exploitation or re-exploitation. Support from Dressember’s COVID-19 relief fund ensured Love146’s Philippines Survivor Care Program continued operating smoothly during COVID-19.
With each organization impacted differently, it is evident that the pandemic has led many to pivot, adapt and learn in the middle of new challenges. Though these are just a few organizations, it reigns true that each member of the Dressember Network has faced unseen circumstances that require time, effort and resources.
By participating in the style challenge this December and educating ourselves on COVID-19's impacts on victims and survivors of trafficking, we can advocate to provide resources for members of the Dressember Network.
About the Author
Shannon Haupert is originally from the West Coast and is now navigating life in New York City. You can find her anywhere with a journal in one hand and snacks in the other. She is passionate about sustainability, human rights, and creativity. When she's not writing, she spends her time working as a nanny, exploring the city, and drinking far too much coffee along the way.