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Home » blog » #ListenToAllSurvivors » #ListenToAllSurvivors 7: Women and Girls

#ListenToAllSurvivors gender and sexuality sex work stories and essays

#ListenToAllSurvivors 7: Women and Girls

by admin|Published October 17, 2021

Sarah is on a stage speaking to a group. She says: “We must end trafficking of women and girls! These men keep exploiting our young women! When a survivor is coerced, she deserves our support and intervention!”

In the audience are four survivors who don’t identify as women -- Sam, Kade, Carsyn, and Nolan. They look annoyed and confused.

Nolan says, “I know women and girls are more likely to be exploited in certain ways, but dang! I feel invisible as a guy survivor sometimes.”

Kade adds, “And I worry that if we always frame trafficking as a man trafficking a woman or girl, survivors who don't fit that story won't realize they are being trafficked.”

Sam notes, “Plus, using this as the "standard" trafficking story encourages entirely ignoring labor trafficking! What about trafficking in agriculture, or sales crews, or domestic labor?”

Carsyn adds, “Also, where do nonbinary people like me fit into this story? How can we make our language more inclusive to make sure all people know we're here to support safety for them, too?”

gender violence
human trafficking
labor trafficking
sex trafficking
survivor leadership

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