How does human trafficking intervention work?
The fight against human trafficking begins with the work of dedicated advocates, NGOs, governments and frontline workers to prevent trafficking, support those who need intervention and protect survivors. Intervention, or reaching out to those in need, is essential in helping survivors escape exploitation.
To free people being forced into human trafficking, our 14 Dressember Network partner organizations work with frontline workers like hospital staff, transportation authorities, casino employees, truckers and law enforcement to help them identify signs of trafficking. By intervention, these organizations help reach those in need.
Intervention work by our programmatic partners helps police execute safe interventions. Dressember also provides resources for investigations on brothels and private trafficking networks that can lead to arrests and convictions for traffickers, as well as legal support for survivors.
Awareness of human trafficking and the factors that make communities vulnerable can be prevented through proactively educating frontline workers and law enforcement on the signs of human trafficking. There’s power in identifying and interfering on behalf of those in trafficking situations.
Since human trafficking is a lucrative industry, we can combat it through interventional aid and legal prosecution. Local, national and international governments can be instruments to address these changes and combat the human trafficking industry. With the help of individuals in higher positions, intervention in human trafficking can impact communities in positive ways. Identifying and removing survivors from trafficking situations could potentially save thousands of people.
One Dressember Network Partner, International Justice Mission (IJM), is the world’s largest anti-trafficking organization that protects vulnerable children, men and women from violence. With an aim to end violence and exploitation of people living in poverty, IJM fights human trafficking in their field offices around the world through collaboration and with local law enforcement.
Dressember is partnering with IJM in the following areas this year:
1. Sex trafficking in Mumbai and Kolkata, India
This is a huge part of IJM’s work, as they identify locations where women and young girls are often found being trafficked. Working with police agencies, the departments can help ensure safety and treat victims with dignity and respect.
IJM also works on building strong cases against traffickers and pimps so that India’s anti-trafficking laws are enforced and reflect human trafficking as a crime.
2. The Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC) in the Philippines
IJM was able to provide analyses and recommendations for government, industry and civil society on tactics that remove the sexual exploitation of children because of the prevalence of the internet.
IJM’s program has supported the Philippines for many years. From 2011 to just this past year in 2019, the program has responded to 171 cases of OSEC, resulting in 571 victims rescued, 229 suspects charged and 76 convictions.
As we become a more technologically advanced world, children become exploited for sex trafficking online. In an effort to fight this trend, police agencies are using technology to help them find traffickers and connect industry partners with a solution. Non-government agencies also are contributing their resources to support criminal justice and social services for survivors.
3. Violence against Women and Children in Guatemala
IJM goal, first initiated in 2005, provides legal and social assistance to children survivors of sexual violence by assisting Guatemalan officials in prosecuting the traffickers involved. The IJM team implemented trauma-informed training for prosecuting sexual assault cases. This represents the opportunity for local governments and nonprofits to work together to fight trafficking.
Dressember’s programmatic partners directly impact the fight to prevent, intervene for and protect the lives of trafficking survivors locally and worldwide. By raising funds and awareness for the Dressember Network as advocates, we can all work together to change the lives of survivors.
Intervention at any level can help survivors escape exploitative situations and reclaim their freedom. Read more about how Dressember fights human trafficking through prevention, intervention and protection here.
About the Author
Daniela (D) Molina is a Cuban gal pursuing a M.S. in Journalism at Indiana University. Since she was young she knew that words had power. She absolutely loves moths and is proud to speak Spanish with whoever she meets.