To mark our tenth anniversary, we are releasing a new feature which reflects on how the anti-trafficking field has evolved, and where it might be – or should be – going in the future. As part of this project, we sat down with Sophie Otiende, Chris Ash and Dr Allen Kiconco.
Sophie defines herself an African feminist, educator, and care practitioner. She is the founder of Azadi Community, co-founder of Collective Threads, and former CEO of the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery. Chris is co-founder of Collective Threads, former manager of the National Survivor Network USA, and a Biden appointee to the United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. Allen is an academic and consultant with expertise around violence against women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings in Africa. She has co-led projects on survivor leadership in anti-trafficking for the Modern Slavery Policy & Evidence Centre.
Our conversation focused on troubling power dynamics, funding structures, and the politics of lived experience in the anti-trafficking space. We also considered the transformative potential of alternative approaches to tackle violence and exploitation across the world.
