Why economic empowerment?
Does this mean jobs? Why does it matter?
Free The Girls began to answer the question “what happens after” – after a woman is away from her trafficker, after she is no longer being exploited, after she’s gone through programs to help in the immediate. What we found was that trafficking survivors need a dignified way to make money while transitioning from exploitation to the rest of their lives. Economic empowerment has always been foundational to the work FTG has done.
Why economic empowerment?
Due to misunderstanding, fear, the social stigma surrounding commercial sex or even fear of reprisal from traffickers, it is often extremely difficult for survivors of sex trafficking to be offered a job from a local business.
With many being victimized at a young age, literacy and education are often very low amongst trafficking survivors, making it nearly impossible to secure a decent paying job in many communities, especially those with a competitive job market.
Landlords, banking institutions, attorneys, etc. often want to see proof of address, job security, and paystubs before offering their services to a customer. For those dealing with housing insecurity, this can feel insurmountable when you’re also trying to find a place to sleep for that night and food for that day. Having sustainable wages allows a woman choice other than survival sex and turning back to prostitution out of desperation.
When a woman has enough money to afford her current life, she often invests it into her family and into the community. When a woman has a job, this ensures her children have an education. When a woman earns a livable wage, her children have opportunities that decrease their own vulnerability towards exploitation.