The Polaris Post

Dear John,

To close out Women's History Month, we are excited to share some thought-provoking perspectives in this installment of the Polaris Post — especially through the in-depth interview with The Man Enough Podcast featured in our first story. 

We're also excited to share updates on new data and advocacy progress, inviting you to learn more and to add your voice alongside survivors. We also hope you'll forward The Polaris Post to others who share your values. 

Together, we'll create a world where everyone is free to choose how and where they live and work. 

Why would Polaris appear on a podcast about being "Man Enough" during Women's History Month?​​

The show, which explores masculinity and how rigid gender roles affect all people, provided the perfect forum for Polaris Ambassador Ashley Judd and CEO Catherine Chen to discuss trafficking, vulnerability, and solutions through the lens of gender. 

It's not always a comfortable conversation — but we believe these topics demand respectful dialogue that holds space for diverse experiences and diverging perspectives. It's all part of the work needed to change harmful narratives about trafficking and build the movement to end it.

Sadly, as data from our National Survivor Study (NSS) shows, parents who are survivors can face systemic barriers in the family court system that are the result of their trafficking experience. They regularly lose custody of their children to others — sometimes even to their trafficker. 

Whether family court staff, service providers, or friends and neighbors, we need to listen to survivors and trust that they know their needs and the needs of their family better than anyone else. Check out our blog to learn more about the issue.  

Last month, the Counter Trafficking Data Collaborative released the Global Synthetic Dataset — the largest publicly avaliable source of individual-level data on human trafficking. 

Including contributions from Polaris, this dataset represents over 206,000 victims and survivors of trafficking identified across 190 countries and territories over 20 years. 

Crucially, this data set uses innovative technology to enable more data sharing and research, while protecting the safety and privacy of victims and survivors. Polaris is proud to be part of this effort and to pursue the same principles in our own data and technology evolution. ​​​​

The bill will allow survivors to expunge federal criminal records for crimes committed during their trafficking situations, which also making it easier for them to show proof of their trafficking and qualify for reduced sentences. 

Help us build momentum for this long-overdue pathway for survivors to clear their records. Please send letters, and share the opportunity with your networks!