No matter where survivors live, their stories always speak to whether people see them or see through them.
Cristian Eduaro, as told to the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security in 2022. He states, “My name is Cristian Eduardo. I am a survivor of international and domestic sex and labor trafficking. I am a Latino immigrant, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a person living with HIV, and a human being dealing with the lifelong consequences of human trafficking. Due to barriers caused by the intersectionality of my identity, I was sexually and physically exploited when I was most vulnerable. I am here representing myself and the thousands of voices that are too often silenced—the voices of survivors of color, immigrants, people living with HIV, LGBTQ+ individuals, the voices of our communities, people exploited by pimps, brothel owners and sex buyers–especially those being abused now, as we meet.” His testimony speaks volumes about what needs to be done to assist human trafficking survivors. He also serves as a PACT USA Survivor Council member...
Yet another PACT Survival Council member is Sean Wheeler, who was trafficked from age 5 to 10, when his family relocated. He was found by others while in his teen years, until he decided he would no longer be a victim but a survivor. While his suffering from the effects of the abuse he endured kept him from speaking out for decades, he and his wife started an organization to fight child sex trafficking and be a voice for boys. Read more about their efforts to fill the void in services for both boys and men sexual assault victims.
The awareness efforts such as MPI Global's Anti-Human Trafficking Committee is just one type of participant in eliminating human trafficking. Others include governmental and nonprofit groups dealing with the victims and organizations such as The Harriet Tubman Fellowship in the USA, which prepares survivors for management positions through a two-year fellowship program; law enforcement at federal, state and local levels; and advocates for legislation around the world to assist survivors who suffer physically and mentally from their ordeals. See, for instance, The Polaris Project on LGBTQ+ Communities and Kings College of London on mental health risk factors for survivors. The collective and collaborative efforts of all work to end human trafficking in all its forms.
