Monica Boseff tells the story of a male guard at her shelter who made the girls breakfast one morning. Shocked by this kindness, the girls called her. Why would anyone, let alone a man, do something nice like this for us? That was their question. Monica's answer: because you deserve to be treated with respect. Monica argues that this story highlights the importance of having men involved in anti-trafficking efforts, and in victim aftercare. While precautions are important, good men can have a unique role to play in helping survivors to heal in certain circumstances.
Caleb Benadum was previously the Program Manager for the Trafficking in Persons Report Global Heroes Network. He graduated from Capital University with a degree in Philosophy, and the University of Cincinnati Law School with a Juris Doctor degree. Having spent much of his life overseas, he is committed to modern-day abolitionism and the promotion of human rights around the world.
In the Philippines in particular, the vast majority of the survivors we work with were trafficked while in the process of looking for employment. They were desperate, took chances that were risky, and it didn't work out for them, but it was that economic vulnerability that drove them to make those risky decisions.