Advancing Survivor-Centred Advocacy: Reflections from GAATW's 30th Anniversary
Group photo at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW).
We were so glad to be part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) at its International Members Congress and Conference (IMCC), held from 15th to 18th October in Bangkok, Thailand, on this special occasion. The IMCC was attended by nearly one hundred of GAATW’s members and partner NGOs, working across almost 40 countries on all continents in areas such as women's rights, migration, sex work, human trafficking, as well as self-organised groups of migrant workers and survivors of trafficking, academics, advocates, and funders.
During the five-day conference, our Executive Director, Mariko Hayashi, spoke on the panel “Protecting the Rights of Migrant Workers” under the theme Protecting the Rights of Trafficked Persons, Migrants, and Workers in the Informal Economy. She also moderated a panel on “Engagement with Survivors”.
“Participating IMCC on GAATW’s special occasion marking its 30th anniversary was such an inspirational experience,” said Mariko. SEEAC was invited to share our work with East and Southeast Asian migrant workers in the UK, particularly those who work in informal or precarious jobs such as agricultural work. “Through facilitating the panel discussing engagement with survivors, I learnt so much from the work of organisations led by or collaborating with survivors of human trafficking and labour exploitation.”
In sharing her perspective, Mariko stressed that while we work on structural changes to enable survivor-centred solutions, including leadership transformation and economic empowerment, we need to continue holding many stakeholders accountable for meaningful engagement with survivors and avoid tokenistic ways of engagement.
“As a community-based organisation, I see ensuring the meaningful participation of impacted communities as an integral part of our advocacy work”
Photo credit to Corporacion Espacios de Mujer
In April this year, SEEAC officially became a member of GAATW, an alliance promoting the human rights of all migrants and their families against an increasingly exploitative globalised labour market. It encompasses more than 100 non-governmental organisations from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America & the Caribbean, and North America. SEEAC’s membership in GAATW followed collaboration on two consortium projects in which we participated:
Launched in 2020, this project analysed the impact of current migration frameworks on the social inclusion and reintegration of migrant and trafficked women. It sought to amplify their participation and voices in labour migration processes. Reflecting on the experiences of organisations involved in this project, GAATW’s publication Heroes, Victims, or Slaves? Workers! challenges existing perceptions of women, migration, labour, and trafficking. Using Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR), SEEAC published a report titled I Don’t Know Whom to Call for Help in 2023.
Voice and Participation of Impacted Communities in Processes of Change: A Joint Learning Initiative
This initiative, launched in 2022, works with partner organisations in Asia and Europe to empower migrant workers, trafficked persons, and other impacted communities to become partners in the process of change rather than merely beneficiaries of projects. As part of this collective learning process, GAATW featured SEEAC’s work in its article We are ‘On Your Side’. The piece highlighted the unified movement in the UK against hate crimes, which spiked during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It addressed the limitations of hate crime reporting to police and the need for reform in approaches and public funding, including the creation of a support and reporting service, On Your Side. SEEAC also collaborated with Vietnamese migrant communities to conduct self-reflective participatory action research.
Exhibition of members’ journey of GAATW.