I have invited a friend of mine, Melissa Watson, to write a guest post for me this week. She works for Free The Girls, an organization that works hard at a very worthwhile cause: helping those who have been rescued from human trafficking to get back on their feet, with the resources to develop the skills they need to move forward with a healthy and fulfilling life.
By Melissa Watson, National Director, Free The Girls
Five years ago, I would have never thought of myself as an
abolitionist. In my mind, slavery ended in
the United States in 1865 and, along with it, went the abolitionist movement.
Enter Free The Girls with their cheeky name and catchy
slogan, “Donate a Bra. Give a Former Slave a Job.”
Free The Girls is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that
provides job opportunities to survivors of sex trafficking in developing
countries by helping them establish their own businesses selling bras in the
second-hand clothing markets. And, through the collection of bras in Western
countries, Free The Girls inspires people and organizations to get involved in
the fight against modern day slavery.
What’s the problem?
Currently over 27 million men, women and children are being
held as slaves around the world—more today than in any other time in history.
The majority of those slaves are women and girls—many of whom are victims of
sex trafficking.
There are a number of amazing organizations that are helping
to rescue these women out of a life of prostitution, but what happens after
they are rescued? Free The Girls partners with established aftercare facilities
to help provide job opportunities to survivors of sex trafficking selling bras.
Bras?
Yes, bras. Every woman has a small graveyard of bras in the
back of her underwear drawer—bras that she doesn’t wear anymore or that never
fit right in the first place. By contrast, second-hand clothing is a profitable
market in many countries around the world. Bras are sought after items. And
even better, bras provide an opportunity for the women in our program to
establish their own businesses, to have flexible hours so they can return to
school and care for their families and, most of all, to work with other women—a
contrast to their former lives where they were being abused and used by men.
How You Can Help
Start by donating those bras lingering in the back of your
lingerie drawer to Free The Girls. Then, encourage your friends to do the same.
Give up your favorite vice once a week—the double soy latte, the drive-thru
dinner, or the second glass of wine during happy hour—and, at the end of the
month, total up your savings and sign up to be a monthly donor to support Free The Girls job creation program. In short, resolve to be an Everyday Abolitionist.
What does it mean to be an Everyday Abolitionist?
If you are like most people, you might think that the only
way to make a difference is to “go big or go home.” Free The Girls knows that
real life doesn’t work that way. Becoming an Everyday Abolitionist is simple,
and it doesn’t require you give up all your spare time or make an
endowment-worthy donation.
Everyday Abolitionists take a stand against modern day
slavery in their everyday lives. They take advantage of opportunities like
donating bras they never wear. They write a note to a survivor of sex
trafficking. They buy a sweet Free The Girls t-shirt. They use social media to
encourage their friends and family to take a stand, too.
Everyday Abolitionists are conscious consumers and purchase
fair-trade, slave-free clothing, food, and consumer products whenever
possible. Some Everyday Abolitionists
shop at e-retailers like ASTERrisk who donates the proceeds from the sale of
her exclusive, handmade Free The Girls branded jewelry. Other Everyday Abolitionists hold garage sales and donate the proceeds. Many Everyday Abolitionists invite their friends to start a book club that selects books
about human trafficking.
Everyday Abolitionists ask thoughtful, discreet questions to
people they encounter in the service industry (such as manicurists,
housekeepers, day laborers, or restaurant kitchen staff) to determine whether that
person is being forced to work in return for room and board. They write to
their lawmakers demanding laws which impose tougher penalties for pimps, johns,
and unscrupulous employers; which de-criminalize and expunge records of those arrested
for prostitution and illegal immigration; and which fund services directed at
the rescue and rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking.
Small, simple steps leading to real, tangible results.
Everyday Abolitionists don’t sacrifice their own identity
for the cause, they make the cause part of their identity in small, meaningful
ways every day.
Ready to join us? Learn more at freethegirls.org
Report suspected human trafficking violations to the
National Hotline at 888-373-7888 or text the word INFO to 233733.
It's me, Alisa, again! Thanks for reading. I believe that turning outside of ourselves to help others is one of the greatest traits we can develop. Consider supporting Free The Girls, and while you're there you can see my cutie-patootie daughter Hailey! Try to imagine her or any girl or woman you love caught up in human trafficking. It's unthinkable.
