To mark the International Day on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Sisters of Mercy at the UN hosted a November 23 presentation entitled Exploiting Vulnerability: An exploration of the Lives of Filipino Women Trafficked for Sexual Exploitation.

 

A standing room only audience listened and interacted with Angela Reed rsm (ISMAPNG) presenting the results of seven years of work with women trafficked culminating in the publication of I Have a Voice: Trafficked Women in Their Own Words, co-authored with Marietta Latonio.

Inviting those present to silently walk among a dozen stark—and heart-wrenching—painted images of women who survived sexual exploitation, Angela then shared her discovery of a new way of understanding this scourge as she listened to their voices.

Young women who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation have unique perceptions about their lives and the significance of having been trafficked, according to Sr Angela. Through focus groups and in-depth interviews, the stories of these young women take the shape of a complex mosaic depicting not a single event but rather a series of events that form a personal story within the social, political, economic, and historical world environment.

This approach to the sex trafficking phenomenon is identified in sociological terms as a “life course perspective” that takes all these elements into account when attempting to address solutions. Sr Angela’s presentation provided the opportunity for attendees to see the images and hear the voices of women whose life course can eloquently speak to advocates, legislators, social workers and governments about ways to eliminate the root causes of this form of grievous exploitation

In conclusion, Sr Angela invited the participants to reflect and integrate this “life course” perspective into their own advocacy work at the UN.

‘Understanding trafficking from a life course perspective allows for the nuances and the particularities of individual experiences. At the same time, this approach recognizes the significance of the socio-economic and political circumstances in which the person is situated. An understanding of the interplay between these realities provides insight into trafficking vulnerabilities’.

The voices of these women are single voices, yet they speak to the soul and to the conscience of any and all. It is up to us to listen and to respond.

Messages to: 
Angela Reed rsm
Rita Parks rsm