Freedom Network USA Recap
Last week, Freedom Network USA held its annual Human Trafficking Conference, bringing together experts, advocates, and survivors to discuss the ongoing fight against modern-day slavery. The conference covered a wide range of topics related to human trafficking, from prevention and victim identification to survivor support and policy advocacy.
Thanks to a generous invitation from New Moon Network and Freedom Network USA, I was able to attend AND present at the conference this year. Here are my few takeaways:
Jamila Aisha from Totally WOW! Org in Atlanta presents on “primary prevention” education for youth.
The importance of collaboration:
Human trafficking is a complex crime that spans across borders and industries. To effectively combat it, government agencies, non-profit organizations, law enforcement, and civil society must work together towards a COMMON goal. Through sharing resources, expertise, and best practices, we can ensure a more coordinated and effective response to human trafficking.
The importance of primary prevention strategies:
Another important takeaway from the conference was the need for more primary prevention strategies. Most of the current approaches to addressing human trafficking fail to address prevention and often do more harm by promoting and disseminating misinformation. Survivors of trafficking often face numerous challenges, from physical and psychological trauma to legal and social barriers. It is essential for service providers and advocates to prioritize the needs and well-being of survivors in their work by offering much-needed victim-centered services while also exploring solutions that address root causes of vulnerability. This can include raising awareness by providing accurate information and education and eliminating vulnerabilities and risk factors, such as poverty, discrimination, and lack of access to resources.
Lastly, the importance of sex worker advocacy in the fight against trafficking:
Sex workers play a key role in challenging harmful stereotypes and misconceptions about the sex industry. By speaking out about their own experiences and advocating for the rights of all individuals in the sex trade, sex workers help shift public attitudes and policies that perpetuate exploitation and trafficking. Sex workers have been integral in identifying and aiding trafficking victims as well as advocating for policies that protect vulnerable individuals. While sex work and sex trafficking are often conflated, the reality of the connection is much more complex. It is important to recognize the expertise and contributions of sex workers as activists encouraging reducing harms in the sex industry and fighting against human trafficking.
Overall, the conference provided a platform for meaningful dialogue, networking, and collaboration within the anti-trafficking movement.
About My Presentation - Who’s Up For the T.A.S.K?
Who’s Up For the T.A.S.K? is the presentation I designed for the conference emphasizing comprehensive sex education as a primary prevention strategy for sex trafficking. I also introduced the project: Ask the T.A.S.K. Team to the audience. During the presentation, I was able to address harmful myths that perpetuate stigmas and discuss how comprehensive sex education provides practical information on increasing protective factors. These protective factors help increase self-awareness skills and body anatomy education AND help reduce the likelihood of perpetrating sexual violence. The audience was then grouped and provided activities that discussed various comprehensive sex education topics including, dealing with rejection, understanding consent, increasing self-esteem, and emotional intelligence. The session ended with each group providing feedback about their topic.
I want to give special thanks to New Moon Fund for providing insight for my presentation, seed funding for the Ask the T.A.S.K. program, as well as a stipend to make conference attendance possible.
Advocates with lived experience enjoy a unique opportunity to gather in person at the FNUSA 2024 conference.
About the author: Jamila Aisha
Jamila Aisha has worked in public relations and marketing for over 10 years as a Public Affairs Specialist for the Georgia Air Guard and Marketing Assistant for the Gallery at South DeKalb. She earned her Volunteer Victims Advocate certification from the DoD D-SAACP in 2019. She has been working as a sex educator and sex rights advocate since 2013. As an educator, consultant and advocate she focuses on positive and comprehensive sex education, sex rights activism and primary prevention solutions for the sex violence crisis. In efforts to reduce harm and stigma she supports comprehensive sex education for school sex education and the DECRIM legal model for sex WORK/erotic LABOR.
She is currently seeking a Master's Degree in Public Health from Morehouse School of Medicine.
