In one word, that’s the cause of human trafficking and modern slavery: vulnerability. Women and girls are especially vulnerable, which is why they comprise 71 percent of modern slavery victims worldwide. Free the Slaves works strategically at the community level to educate residents about gender rights and empower women and girls to exercise those rights to reduce the risk of enslavement.
Our field programs include:
- Creation of community vigilance committees to build slavery resistance, often comprised and led by women
- Education on the rights of women under international and local laws
- Vocational and microenterprise skills training to reduce vulnerability and ensure sustainable freedom for slavery survivors
- Establishment of savings and loan associations at village and neighborhood levels, often run by women, so individuals can borrow from each other instead of slaveholders during times of crisis
- Transitional schooling for girls coming out of slavery so they can re-enter public schools at age-appropriate level
Community Liberation Initiative
The Free the Slaves goal is to integrate anti-trafficking strategies into international development programs worldwide, just as gender strategies are already integrated into many government-funded projects. See our booklet, Catalyzing a Civil Society Movement Against Slavery, for details of the Free the Slaves Community Liberation Initiative strategy to create slavery-free and slavery-resistant communities worldwide.
See case studies of women successfully coming out of slavery in our gallery of success stories here.