Just two months ago, I had the honor of watching our governor, Christine Gregoire, sign a bill to address victim confidentiality, based on the reports we did for the Anti-Trafficking Task Force. Our senator. Jeanne Kohl-Wells also supported the bill, and that was exciting to me, to see our senator take the lead and be a voice for us survivors.
I have always said if we survivors come forth and tell our story—reveal the truth of what happened to us—it will help people understand the realities of human trafficking. We can’t stay silent. If we do, we stay in the dark and allow the traffickers to continue the destruction of innocent lives.
There are so many myths about trafficking that I am committed to overturning. The Polaris Project produced a document that discussed many of these myths (see sidebar). Education is the key. By educating the general public, we can move forward in addressing human trafficking issues.
Media is a huge ally in the cultural, social, economic, and political transformation of this issue, but they can also perpetuate these myths. Sometimes they sensationalize the stories of the victims or report inaccuracies. But they can also play a very effective role in bringing awareness and mobilizing people to get involved to fight this industry. We need to build a coalition of media partners and popular personalities to advocate for anti-trafficking measures. As a victim, it’s encouraging to see that there is hope through the media, there is hope through the celebrities who are speaking out in support of our efforts—we need them to help us be a stronger voice.
If you have a heart and a passion, you can use your voice to raise awareness, to educate people, whether it is through media, or through legislation, or just by talking to your friends. The biggest thing people can do is be a voice and raise the bar. As a society, we need to say that we will not stand for victimizing women and children in our country or anywhere in the world.
And it is so important to remember that we victims are people. We are just like your mothers, your siblings. We have hearts. We have minds. We would really like for people—the public, but especially service providers—to see us as individuals who have value, who have a voice. We need partners to help our voices be heard.
For those who have survived this industry, it is so important to get involved—whether that is in legislation, in speaking to the media, in telling the stories, or in helping other victims. When you start stepping out and helping others—when you start being a voice—you can begin the process of healing. It is very difficult, but it is beneficial to our own self-worth and self-image. We are overcomers, and we are survivors, and we can make a difference.
By Rani Hong, survivor and human trafficking activist, as told to Rhyen Coombs
Photo courtesy of World Pulse
