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A woman speaks into a microphone at a panel discussion in a formal meeting Slavery-Free Goods
Wednesday May 14, 2025

Europe’s Anti-Slavery Forum links economy to continued exploitation

Joanna Ewart-James

The role of business and our economic system in perpetuating modern slavery received unprecedented attention from anti-trafficking experts last week. Speakers from nonprofits, business and government joined together at the 2025 Europe Freedom from Slavery Forum, organized by Free The Slaves and hosted by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Increasing supply chain transparency is important. However during the event it was clear that it has failed to reduce extreme exploitation, which instead is on the rise. I witnessed, for the first time, multiple panellists highlighting the

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World Book Day 2025 Anti-slavery activists
Thursday April 17, 2025

5 books to check out on World Book Day

Krysta Bisnauth

Books do more than just tell stories—they open doors into lives we might never otherwise see. This World Book Day, my colleagues and I are celebrating the joy of reading. We also want to highlight books that challenge us, that confront harsh realities, and that tell the truth. So, we’re sharing our book recommendations for folks who want to learn more about modern slavery.   Around the world, over 50 million people are trapped in forced labor, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking. These are not just numbers; they are people with names, dreams, and voices often silenced by modern

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Online panel event: Protecting rights, preventing harm: Rethinking laws to address sex trafficking Law & Policy
Tuesday March 11, 2025

Watch Freedom United’s webinar: Rethinking laws to address sex trafficking

March 19, 2025, Online Event  The conversation around sex trafficking and modern slavery has never been more urgent. With legislative changes underway in both the US and the UK, Freedom United invites you to watch our online panel event, "Protecting rights, preventing harm: Rethinking laws to address sex trafficking”. The discussion comes at a crucial moment. Illinois is on the cusp of making history in the US. It could be the first state to decriminalize sex work and so strengthen protections against trafficking for sexual exploitation. A newly introduced bill offers a shift in

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Human trafficking
Wednesday December 18, 2024

My hope for 2025 is a profound shift in how the world views migration

Ellie Finkelstein

Today, on International Migrants Day, I fear that the pervasive characterization of migration as a “legitimate concern” is driving both criminalization, and simultaneously, global indifference to the plight of people on the move, pushing more and more towards traffickers, where they face exploitation, abuse, and even death.   In 2024, we have witnessed governments weaponize narratives of sovereignty and security to both justify restrictive border policies and

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California turns its back on abolition Prison slavery
Friday November 22, 2024

California turned its back on abolition—but we can’t stop

Krysta Bisnauth

Slavery still exists in the United States. That’s not hyperbole—it’s the reality written into the constitutions of many states and, most disturbingly, in the American Constitution itself. The 13th Amendment, often celebrated for abolishing slavery, includes a chilling exception: slavery and involuntary servitude are permissible as punishment for a crime. For over 150 years, this exception clause has perpetuated a system where incarcerated individuals—disproportionately people of color—are forced into labor for little or no pay. They face threats ranging from solitary confinement

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