A Link Between Race, Gender, and Sex in the Latest Atlanta Shootings
Act now by urging your U.S. Senators and Representatives to take the lead on the bipartisan Runaway and Homeless Youth Trafficking Prevention Act
Hello Activists,
Happy Women’s History Month! It’s so important to not only shine a light on those issues that oppress our fellow ladies but also to strategize ways to innovate and promote positive change. Check out this list of inspiring trailblazers, collated by Thomson Reuters Foundation, who are doing just that with elevated determination to find solutions to fight a crime that disproportionately effects women: Trafficking.
Let’s take action together
Submit a letter, urging your U.S. Senators and Representatives to take the lead on the bipartisan Runaway and Homeless Youth Trafficking Prevention Act.
👉 Take a minute to submit your letter here
Click here to learn more about our “why”.
As always, thanks for being part of our growing community of activists and as a reminder, we love hearing from you! All feedback is welcome!
This Week..
ACTIVISTS OF THE WEEK:
Shandra Woworuntu
Photo credit to: Medium
Shandra Woworuntu is a survivor advocate, L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth Honoree, was recognized by the United States Government and appointed by President Barrack Obama to the Advisory Council to the White House on Human Trafficking, and is founder of Mentari Human Trafficking Survivor Empowerment Program Inc.
Mentari’s Vision and Mission is to mentor and empower survivors of gender based violence, abuse, exploitation and human trafficking in their reintegration back into community, and society independently through the DREAM, Direct Services, Resources, Empowerment, Advocacy, and Mentorship.
👉 Read more about Shandra’s journey as a survivor and as Founder of Mentari, here
FOR YOUR EYES:
Racism clearly drove Atlanta shootings. It also fuels sexual exploitation of Asian women.
The Jensen Project Invests $3.1 Million to Combat the Effects of Sex Trafficking and Exploitation
Sex Traffickers Target Native American Children in South Dakota
FOR YOUR EARS:
👉 If you enjoy staying informed about the stories, initiatives, and people within the counter human trafficking movement, share to tell others about it:
FOR YOUR EYES
Photo credit to: USA Today
Racism clearly drove Atlanta shootings. It also fuels sexual exploitation of Asian women: The recent string of shootings at three spas in Atlanta reveal a link of stigmas between racism, sex, and gender. Targeted was an industry with a history of sex trafficking and all three spas are listed on Rubmaps, an erotic review site that allows users to search and review illicit massage parlors.
Photo credit to: Unsplash
The Jensen Project Invests $3.1 Million to Combat the Effects of Sex Trafficking and Exploitation: Survivor Janet Jensen founded The Jensen Project after she realized that the organizations advocating for sexual assault survivors face the same obstacles: resources and strategy to advance their efforts.
The Jensen Project fills this need.
We believe we’re stronger together. A national, unified front will help us win the fight against sexual violence.
Photo credit to: The Evergreen State College
Sex Traffickers Target Native American Children in South Dakota: Home to nine Native American reservations, South Dakota is steeped in rich Native history and culture. It may be surprising to some that 40% of sex trafficking victims in the state are Native women and children and what makes this startling is only 13% of South Dakota's residents are Native. Fortunately, South Dakota is one of the first states to aggressively prosecute buyers of sex from trafficked victims.
Photo credit to: The NY Times
Why an increase in reports of CSAM is actually a good thing: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) recently released its annual overview of the number of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) reports the organization received in 2020. NCMEC highlighted a 28% increase in reports of CSAM compared to 2019 which has left many wondering why. Dive into Thorn’s coverage of this topic, above.
FOR YOUR EARS:
Photo credit to: North Country Public Radio
Trafficked: A Woman’s Courageous Escape and the Big Business of Modern Slavery | Blessing Okeidon: (podcast, 36 minutes) Listen to this courageous personal account of trafficking and exploitation from survivor, Blessing Okeidon, as featured as our Activist of the Week, here.
Photo credit to: Fight the New Drug
Consider Before Consuming, Kathrine Lee: (podcast, 1 hr 12 minutes) Listen to podcast host Garrett Jonsson talk with life coach, business strategist, and anti-trafficking advocate through her organization Pure Hope Foundation, Kathrine Lee.
COMING UP:
Broken Promises: Treaties and Historical legislation
An
online webinar
open to the public
When: March 24th, 11:00 AM CST
This presentation will be a deep dive, by speaker Melissa (Mel) Compton, into the pattern of historical exploitation through broken treaties and convoluted pieces of legislation that contribute to a false narrative of Indigenous peoples. This presentation will make connections to the patterns of HT exploitation and discuss how current legislation and patterns continue to contribute to exploitation and vulnerability within the Indigenous population.
👉To register for this webinar, click here!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this issue of Liberty Line, a weekly newsletter dedicated to providing you with the most pertinent information surrounding the stories, initiatives, and people within the counter human trafficking and sexual exploitation movement. To learn more about the The Liberty Coalition, visit: www.thelibertycoalition.com