UNU-INRA Director, Fatima Denton, discusses what can be done to tackle Modern Slavery in the CSW Side event; Tackling Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking: The Importance of Financial Inclusion of Women and Girls on the 15th of March, 2022. The event was a joint collaboration between the permanent missions of Lichenstein, The Netherlands, and Australia and the Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking initiative (FAST).
Speaking from the background of Natural Resource management, explained that for Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking to end, the access to recovery needs to be greater than what it is. “We need to go beyond the micro level systems of support. We need to scale up, she said." In explaining the risks of modern slavery, Vulnerable Populations Lead Dr Leona Vaughn, she said “Being a woman is not a risk factor, how society treats women and girls is the risk.”
The conversation also showcased an array of perspectives on what can be done to help survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery. UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and girls, Professor Siobhan Mullally took note of the structural issues, “We need to ensure that the structures are built in in terms of recovery and gender inclusion.” Human Trafficking Survivor, Activist and CEO of Footprint to Freedom, Malika Oringo explained that accommodating the needs of human trafficking survivors needs to be a priority, saying that “In order for us to be inclusive for survivors, the survivors need to be met with people with lived experiences.” Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, Anita Bhatia, also took note of the issue of human trafficking and how it affects Women and Girls in a Keynote Speech, explaining that “We know that if women can stand on their own two feet and feed their families, they will not be trafficked.”