The anti-trafficking movement has long been divided into factions. All groups agree that no one should endure trafficking, but they break apart over the strategies to get there. For decades this has held us back.
The best-known split is between those wanting to abolish sex work and those pushing to decriminalise it. But alongside this, there are also actors advocating for a criminal justice approach, a public health approach, a human rights approach, and a moral approach. Some spend resources upstream on societal issues and primary prevention. Others work downstream to hold people accountable and provide direct services and support. Some think global, others local. These divisions have led people to focus on different areas and to prioritise different solutions, even though they say they have the same ultimate goal.
In a sense that’s a good thing. An issue this large requires a multi-prong approach, just as it requires trying, failing, and then trying something different. The anti-trafficking movement has benefited greatly from the broad support it receives and the diverse efforts to combat it. But often it feels like we spend more energy and resources fighting over areas of disagreement than working together in areas of widespread consensus. This is to the detriment of each other, our movement, and the individuals we serve.
