Preventing Trafficking by Unpacking Root Causes and Empowering Youth
Been hearing a lot about human trafficking lately? What does it mean to your family, the people you support at work, and your community?
Join Marissa Kokkoros, Executive Director of Aura Freedom International, for an interactive webinar on how to prevent human trafficking in the sex trade by advancing EQUALITY. By analyzing the root causes of human trafficking and exploitation, we can empower youth to demand better for themselves and their communities. After all, it's very difficult to traffic empowered youth.
Parents, teachers, frontline workers, interested community members and other stakeholders will:
-learn the basics of human trafficking in the sex trade, the luring/grooming process and current trends
-explore the root causes of human trafficking in the sex trade (gender inequality, colonialism, systemic racism, ableism, homophobia, etc.) and how recognizing and unpacking these root causes with youth can increase equality and prevent abuse and exploitation
-how to appropriately support youth who are being exploited or those at risk
-learn where to get help and find resources
SPEAKER
Marissa Kokkoros
Marissa Kokkoros is the Founder and Executive Director of Aura Freedom International. From her time in Sub-Saharan Africa, India, Nepal, Italy, Eastern Europe and more, Marissa has studied the social position of women and girls in different places and the communities surrounding them. Marissa has spent extensive time researching and studying gender-based violence and human trafficking around the world. She has spent time with sex workers in South Asian red light districts, has held lasting relationships with survivors of human trafficking from different countries, and has implemented empowerment projects with women and girls in different countries. A number of Aura Freedom’s international projects addressing gender-based violence have been funded by Canada’s Global Affairs and her research on different forms of violence against women in Nepal has been recognized by different human rights organizations. Marissa has spoken at many international conferences on gender equality. In 2020, she authored a report on gender-based violence in Toronto called Relentless Resilience.
Marissa is an activist and advocate for gender equality in her hometown of Toronto, lending her experience to different projects around the city addressing violence against women. Through her work, Marissa has made strong ties and fostered deep relationships with fellow women’s rights defenders in Canada and around the world. Marissa’s passion is watching the ripple effects of placing knowledge and power into the hands of women and girls. Her dream is a world free from gender-based violence, but it’s her love for her daughter that keeps the beat of her heart.
Aura Freedom is a grassroots, intersectional feminist organization working to end gender-based violence (including human trafficking in the sex trade) through advocacy and education. www.aurafreedom.org