Using Survivor Stories in Anti-Trafficking Activism

Human trafficking “violates the most fundamental of rights we hold dear: the right to life, to equality, dignity and security; the right to health; to freedom of movement, freedom from violence and abuse, the right to be recognised as a person before the law" (Kyung-wha Kang, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights).

Traffickers treat people like commodities, remove their basic rights and take away their ability to make their own choices of where to work and for whom. In order to make serious advances in the protection and prevention of human trafficking, we must take a survivor-centred approach. Through the voices of those who have experienced trafficking and sought help to free themselves from exploitative situations, we can gain valuable insights into the successes and failures of anti-trafficking policies.

Survivor narratives illuminate the dark corners of coercion and expose causes like mass displacement, poverty, conflict, harmful social norms, lack of education or job opportunities that put vulnerable people at risk. For the survivors, telling their story can be part of their recovery process; warning others of dangers to avoid.

Human Trafficking research largely considers the numbers involved, the compliance with international and legal policies, the reasons for human trafficking vulnerability, and systems for supporting survivors, which are primarily outsider views focused on the institutional mechanisms. In our collaborative research with Haart Kenya a leading NGO in countering human trafficking, we started with the insider view, inviting survivors to share their experiential knowledge, in order to identify implementation gaps in anti-trafficking policies in Kenya.

The AHRC funded research shows how victims of trafficking interact with informal systems, and if the policies work from the perspective of survivors. Bringing research into the classroom, our partnership with Haart Kenya extends to the students on The Politics of Human Rights module, where students analyse how rights-based approaches to human trafficking operate in the real world of international politics.