Friend,
Over the years, we’ve heard numerous stories from trafficking survivors who had difficulty getting the help they needed. They managed to escape their trafficker, reach out for help, and get connected with a service provider. They thought their troubles were finally over, only they would continue to feel victimized as they tried to get help.
Some anti-trafficking programs have mandated services. They require survivors to perform different tasks in order to receive help. They ask survivors to turn over their phones, perform chores, attend mandatory religious or counseling services, and restrict their movement. If survivors don’t follow these strict rules, their access to help is denied and they are asked to leave.
The programs claim that these rules are in the survivor’s best interest, and they have these practices in order to help keep survivors safe. But for many survivors, it feels like they’ve moved from one trafficking situation to another. Yet again, their freedom is taken away. Imagine telling a survivor who was trafficked as a domestic worker that they must perform household chores. Or imagine telling a survivor whose trafficker took away their phone and didn’t allow them to contact family or friends that they have to turn in their cell phone and they aren’t allowed visitors. This can be deeply traumatic for survivors.
This is why training and technical assistance is so important in the anti-trafficking field. Many well-meaning programs actually have practices that further harm survivors.
The Freedom Network Training Institute is committed to ensuring no survivor has this experience. We provide in-person and online training, fact sheets, tools, and templates for service providers. We promote practices that are voluntary, client-centered, and trauma-informed. We believe that protecting the rights of survivors and respecting their individual agency is the only path to reclaiming their dignity and giving them the opportunity to heal and move forward.
|
|
|
We’ve trained thousands of professionals across the country on using a human rights-based approach, utilizing facilitators who are experts in the field. And we plan to increase the number of programs we train in the next year. Help us continue this important work. Become a monthly donor. Your donation will be used to help us provide training, resources, and support to service providers so they can learn how to better assist survivors.
|
|
|
|
