Recently four leaders in the movement to combat sex trafficking, who are also survivors of sex trafficking, joined together at “Survivors Speak: Essential Leadership in Combating Demand for Sex Trafficking and Commercial Sex” in Washington, D.C.

Rachel Lloyd, Executive Director and Founder of Girls Educational & Mentoring Services, moderated the panel and began by raising the question of whether leaders should focus on only reducing the demand for children to reduce demand for adults as well. The average age of entry for boys and girls into the commercial sex industry is 12 and 13. What people fail to consider is that these same children, if they survive, make up a population of the sex trafficking victims over the age of 18. [Read more →]

This spring is an exciting time at Polaris Project and at many of our partner organizations in the anti-trafficking field because we feel that the movement against human trafficking is gaining momentum.  There’s an increasing sense that more people are becoming aware that modern-day slavery is present in our communities.  It’s great to see when people are motivated to fight against human trafficking once they learn about it.  Learn, get outraged, resolve to take action…and do something.  That’s how movements are built and sustained. [Read more →]

At the Karma Nightclub in Minneapolis a few days ago, April 5, there was a Players Ball.

Let’s stop for a minute.  That’s a publicly-advertised wild bash at a nightclub, celebrating pimps’ business… What’s wrong with this picture? [Read more →]