As with any movement for rights and justice, the contemporary anti-slavery and anti-trafficking movement draws upon a range of rhetorical and mobilisation strategies; from digital billboards, pop-up installations and mock auctions, to awareness-raising surveys, exhibitions and animated documentaries. However, without further data on campaigns’ practical impact on policy agendas, funding levels, risk-awareness, and slavery prevalence, we cannot yet answer “yes” to the important question of whether they have been positive.
We do not yet have a sufficient body of research that documents their efficacy. What kind of data, platforms, dissemination methods, and partnerships support effective change? What can the contemporary anti-slavery movement learn from how other social justice movements use research results, imagery, and public engagement? What can other movements learn from anti-slavery? Our current analytic shortcomings are part of a larger gap in monitoring and evaluation. With some exceptions, much resource devoted to anti-slavery work is spent without pre- and post-intervention testing or evaluations of its effectiveness. This is especially the case when it comes to ‘awareness raising’.
Statistical cherry-picking
While we can’t yet demonstrate the positive impact of campaigns with any rigour, the recent history of awareness-raising does offer several cautionary tales. One recurring issue is statistical cherry-picking. Many organisations have been tempted to play fast and loose with numbers, which risks underpinning funding and policy decisions with misleading campaigns.
