July 30 was World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, so today on the blog, I’d like to invite you into a conversation about this heavy yet important issue with a dear friend of mine who works on the front lines. Annie Fain is the Partnership Coordinator and A Way Out Program Assistant at A Way Out Ministries in Memphis, Tennessee, an organization whose mission is “to assist any woman desiring to permanently leave sex trafficking.” For more information, see https://www.awoministries.org/.
I first met Annie through church when I was in high
school, and despite our age difference, we became friends through several
shared experiences and creative projects, the most significant of which
involved playing on-screen sisters. Annie’s kind and compassionate heart and
love for the Lord and His Word are characteristics of her life, and it’s been a
joy to see her grow into a passionate woman of God. I’m thankful to be able to
share her insight with you.
Olivia:
What is one thing you think people should know about the realities of human
trafficking?
Annie: I think the most foundational thing people
should know is that trafficking is real, it is growing, and it happens near
your home. Trafficking is a strategic system of organized crime that’s ultimate
goal is to profit from the inhumane treatment of men, women, and children.
The methodology of trafficking is built on isolating and
exploiting the most vulnerable people. Many different types of vulnerabilities
often intersect in an individual’s life and prime them to be manipulated or
coerced by a trafficker. The most common narrative is one of individuals being
first trafficked at the hands of someone they know, not abducted by a stranger.
Some of the vulnerabilities traffickers look for include: generational poverty,
habitual childhood abuse, habitual sexual abuse, time in foster care, racial
and social oppression, homelessness, being a single parent, mental illness, lack
of education, lack of workforce opportunities, and generally the presence of
any outstanding socioeconomic disparities.
Vulnerability answers the question of “How did this person
fall prey to exploitation?” and if this is true, then for concerned citizens
that means that addressing
and diminishing any of these factors in an individual’s life can help prevent
them from falling into cycles of exploitation.
But that still leaves us with the question “Why is
trafficking so prevalent and increasing?” The only answer is demand.
Labor trafficking is thriving because there is a demand for products
instantaneously, and sex trafficking is thriving because there are sex buyers
who purchase (predominantly) women and girls. The most important issue that
needs to be addressed on the local, state, and federal levels regarding policy
reform on human trafficking is combatting the demand.
Olivia: How did you get involved in anti-trafficking
work?
Annie: I got involved due to an answered prayer. I first
heard of the issue of trafficking while still in high school through Passion
Conference’s awareness initiative called End It Movement. Even then the issue
stirred my heart and burdened me, but I left unsure of anything tangible I
could do to fight it. I went on with life and worked in other industries for a
few years, ultimately knowing that I wasn’t where I wanted to be long term. I
had prayed years prior that the Lord would give me a cause to champion that
mattered to Him, and I resumed that prayer, adding that God would allow me to
work somewhere that I could talk about Him openly and the work of my hands
would matter into eternity. It was shortly after that I met a girl at a
Christmas party who told me that she did anti-trafficking work, and I told her
I wanted to volunteer. Two weeks later she said she was stepping down from her
position, and I told her I wanted it. I interviewed, and God gave me the job –
with no certifications, job experience, or educational training for this field.
That’s when you know it’s God.
Olivia: Trafficking is a heavy reality. What keeps
you going in your ministry?
Annie: Someone once told me to find where my
greatest passion and greatest burden collide, and to champion that issue. For
me, that cause is trafficking, and more specifically sex trafficking.
The greatest thing I can do to continue in ministry to
victims of sex trafficking is to remove myself from the role of rescuer.
I think a great deal of well-meaning people get involved with this work because
they are intoxicated on the idea of getting to rescue people. It is beautiful
to want to set people free, but we have entirely misconstrued our role if we view success as how many women we have ripped out of a
pimp’s arms. Often, our role as advocates is simply to love survivors with no
agenda. For women exiting commercial sexual exploitation, it takes an average
of 7 attempts for her to finally, permanently be ready to reintegrate into
society.
I think for anyone endeavoring to do this work, it takes an
impassioned understanding of the justice heart of God. I have seen
justice sought against traffickers where the trafficker walked free. Knowing
that God will administer perfect justice on behalf of survivors is liberating.
I have to keep in mind who my enemy is—it would be
easy, especially when we are talking about demand, sex buyers, traffickers,
rapists, and madams, to point a finger and cite them as the source of evil. But
at the end of the day, while we want stricter punishment for evil acts and want
true justice for victims, the sex buyer, trafficker, and brothel owner are not
our enemy. They are acting out of a brokenness and depravity that Jesus wants
to restore them from too. It is a humbling and beautiful thing to realize that
the compassion of God reaches also to the sex buyer, and
ultimately Satan is the one true enemy.
Olivia:
What are some ways that others can get involved in combatting modern-day
slavery?
Annie:
1.
Become Informed: Read,
listen to podcasts, seek education on policy and reform, and most importantly
give ear to survivor’s testimonies. I’ve seen many, many advocates or citizens
say, “I am a voice for those who are voiceless,” which in its intention is
good, but it is not necessarily true. While many who are currently in
cycles of exploitation are not afforded a voice, survivors who have been
rescued and are far removed from trafficking are speaking up. They have strong
opinions on policy and on restoration; they voice their needs, their struggle,
and their trauma—they aren’t voiceless. We would do well to offer them our ear.
2.
Sign, sign, sign:
·
There is a petition to shut
down PornHub, one of the largest pornography websites in the world, due to
their complicity in trafficking, rape, and incest along with a plethora of
other evils and human rights violations. Sign the petition to shut PornHub down
at traffickinghub.com.
·
There is a dedicated
organization based in South Africa that has created a charter to support
Abolitionist Equality Law in Africa through the Coalition for the Abolition of
Prostitution in Africa (CAPA), and you can sign the charter at
embracedignity.org.za. Go to the Get Involved dropdown menu and click Sign the
CAPA Charter.
·
To learn more about the
Equality Model (also called the Nordic Model or Abolition Model)
and sign the pledge to say you understand and support this model, go to
equalitymodelus.org.
3.
Be the one. I have
heard from NGO leaders, survivors, and counselors alike that oftentimes in an
individual’s journey of recovery, it only takes having one person who
believes in them wholeheartedly and unconditionally for them to make it. You
can be that person across the table, on the other end of the phone, or in the driver’s
seat on the way to their first job interview. Just be present in their life. They
don’t need you to fix them or view them as a project; they need to you be
present, to listen, and to believe them. Throw them a celebration when they get
their HiSet (GED), help them apply to college, babysit their child one night,
or pick them up for church. Be there for them and decide you aren’t going to
leave, even if they sometimes have a little bit of the street left in them.
4.
Take a strong stance
on the link between pornography and sex trafficking and seek or offer
mentorship to those who may be struggling with this issue in an attitude that is devoid of shame
and that cultivates healing.
5.
Pray this way:
· For darkness to be exposed
· For women, men, and
children to be rescued & restored
· For righteous justice to be
executed
· For more workers in the
field
· That the sex industry will
NOT be legalized or decriminalized in the United States
· For men who exploit women
in prostitution to STOP and to find holistic physical, mental, spiritual, and
emotional healing from sexual addiction
6.
Donate money, time,
and in-kind donations (clothing, hygiene supplies, computers, furniture) to a
safe house/recovery center near you.
Pro Tip: Not all
organizations that claim to fight trafficking adhere to the belief that DEMAND
is the root cause for trafficking, in fact some deny it. These organizations
are highly visible and claim to make an impact in the war on trafficking, but
without addressing demand, cycles of exploitation will never stop. Research the
organizations where you donate money, time, and resources and find out their
stance on DEMAND.
Olivia: What are some resources you would recommend
for those who want to learn more?
Annie:
Books
Vulnerable by
Raleigh Sadler
Intervention Manual by Exodus Cry
In Pursuit of Love by Rebecca Bender*
The White Umbrella by Mary Francis Bowley
Fallen by Annie Lobert*
Girls Like Us by Rachel Lloyd*
Free Cyntoia by Cyntoia Brown*
*survivor
written
Documentaries
Nefarious: Merchant
of Souls by Exodus Cry (full screening available on YouTube)
Liberated: The New Sexual Revolution by Exodus Cry (available on Netflix
& YouTube)
For any who may be
battling pornography and sexual addiction(s)
If you, the reader,
have dealt with sexual addiction in any form, including but not limited to:
consumption of pornography, attending and doing business at strip clubs/massage
parlors, or engaging with women or children in prostitution, none of what is written
today is to shame or blame you. The sole purpose is to inform you that you have
encountered and furthered exploitation, and the practices of violating and
consuming another person for your own gain was not only degrading to the
victim, but to you as well, and there is healing for you too. I would encourage
you to seek counsel, mentorship, and accountability from individuals the same
gender as you who are currently in places of health and success in their walk
towards pure and righteous sexuality.
Recovery resources for
anyone battling sexual addition
· Authentic Relationships International—articles, podcast, speaking events, and navigation tools for dealing with pornography addiction within relationships
· Pure Life Ministries—sermons,
podcasts, counseling, partner counseling, events, books
· Covenant Eyes—Screen filters,
support for couples, family protection, etc.
· Fight the New Drug—Fighter club,
documentaries, etc.
· Culture Reframed—Parenting
in a hypersexualized culture
· LizWalkerPresents.com and
her Youth Wellbeing Project—Conversation tips for addressing this with youth,
children’s books, and school curricula
Whether
you are just beginning to learn about exploitation and human trafficking or
whether you’ve been involved in the struggle for some time, I pray this
conversation has challenged you to take a stand and encouraged you to keep up
the good fight. God is a God of justice, redemption, healing, grace, and
unfailing love. Whether you find yourself an advocate, a survivor, an enabler,
or a perpetrator, God can meet you at your point of need and see you through.
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