ABOUT INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual

exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals

work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators

and to promote functioning public justice systems.

Manna ’s Stor y - INDIA

When 14-year-old Manna* ran away

from her abusive home, she met a

woman who offered her a job selling

fabric. She accepted the position,

and the woman provided her a place

to sleep for the night. When Manna

awoke in the morning, the woman

was gone, and Manna discovered

that she was in a brothel. For the

next two years, she was held in the

brothel and raped by customers for

the profit of the brothel owners.

She was freed when IJM investigators

discovered her captivity and

alerted local authorities, working

with them to release her and three

other young girls from the brothel.

The brothel owners each received

five-year sentences for their crimes,

and Manna was brought to an aftercare

home to heal in security.

Sex Trafficking

Sex trafficking is a growing global enterprise driven by deception, coercion and force.

Traffickers transport or detain their victims for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation.

This trade in rape for profit thrives in the absence of robust law enforcement to

ensure the protection of the law for vulnerable children and women.

The Facts

• After drug dealing, human trafficking (both sex trafficking and

trafficking for forced labor) is tied with the illegal arms industry as the

second largest criminal industry in the world today, and it is the fastest

growing. (U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services)

• Worldwide, there are nearly two million children in

the commercial sex trade. (UNICEF)

• There are an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 children, women and men

trafficked across international borders annually. (U.S. Department of State)

• Approximately 80 percent of human trafficking victims are women and

girls, and up to 50 percent are minors. (U.S. Department of State)

• The total market value of illicit human trafficking is

estimated to be in excess of $32 billion. (U.N.)

• Sex trafficking is an engine of the global AIDS epidemic.

(U.S. Department of State)

IJM’s Res ponse

International Justice Mission’s first priority in its anti-trafficking casework is to secure

the protection of the law for trafficked women and children forced into commercial

sexual activity. IJM investigators spend hundreds of hours gathering and documenting

undercover evidence of trafficking and sexual exploitation. Using this evidence, IJM staff

members then partner with local authorities to rescue victims from situations of ongoing

abuse and ensure that they have access to aftercare services to meet their vital needs. IJM

lawyers work alongside local authorities to secure the conviction and sentencing of traffickers

and other perpetrators.

Sex trafficking will endure as long as it remains a profitable criminal enterprise. By freeing

victims and prosecuting their perpetrators, IJM operations increase the risk and decrease

the profitability of trafficking for those who would commit this crime. IJM works to

combat sex trafficking in Bolivia, India, Cambodia and the Philippines. IJM investigations

have resulted in freedom for more than 1,000 girls and women held by force in the

commercial sex trade.

What is good - human rights charities

Quick guide: UK Human Trafficking

What is human trafficking? Human trafficking is the movement of people by means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them. WHAT IS A QUICK GUIDE? Quick guides are concise explanations of topics or issues in the news. More Quick Guides The UN describes trafficking as a form of "slavery". It knows of victims from 127 countries and of their exploitation in 137. Major destinations for victims include wealthy countries in Western Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Women are involved in 77% of trafficking cases worldwide, with sexual exploitation a factor in 87%. Forced labour is also a motive behind trafficking. What is the situation in the UK? The UK is a major destination for trafficked women. Police believe that about 4,000 have been brought in to the country and forced to work as prostitutes. Trafficking routes to the UK 'I was trafficked at 15' Criminal gangs bring them into the country individually or in small, escorted groups. The routes used can change quickly, although some broad routes have been identified. Victims are found "all over the UK, not just in metropolitan areas", police say. The gangs behind the trade buy and sell the women for between £2,000 and £8,000. Some have been forced to work 16 hours and have sex with 30 men a day. Who are the victims? Many trafficking victims in the UK are from Eastern European countries including Lithuania, Russia, Albania and Ukraine. Others are from the Far East, South America and Africa. Often, women are lured by adverts in their home countries for jobs such as restaurant staff, maids and child minders. Some expect to work as lap dancers or escorts, but not to be prostitutes. Others do know they are going to work as prostitutes, but are lied to about conditions. The age of victims varies widely, but most are between 18 and 24. Police have also rescued a number of children. Many victims are "from poor backgrounds with little or no education", the UK Human Trafficking Centre reports. What happens once they are in the UK? Victims can end up in any town or city where brothels operate. The Poppy Project, which offers victims support and accommodation, says more may now be working on the streets. WANT TO KNOW MORE? Have we missed anything out? Do you want to suggest a subject for a Quick Guide? Send us an e-mail The women are moved about the country frequently and may be sold and exchanged between a number of different gangs. The fate of many victims is unclear, although it is known that some have been sent home after falling ill or becoming pregnant. Others have been allowed to pay off their "debts" to the traffickers.

What is good - human rights charities

What is good - human rights charities

What is good - human rights charities

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual

exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals

work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators

and to promote functioning public justice systems.

Geral dine ’s Stor y -

KENYA

Six-year-old Geraldine* was walking

along a familiar trail to her mother’s

grocery stand when a neighbor from

her village grabbed her and sexually

assaulted her. In the aftermath of the

abuse, the perpetrator threatened

to kill Geraldine’s mother when she

confronted him. When she reported

the crime to police, they suggested

she simply take some money from

the man.

But IJM’s team of legal professionals

committed to fight alongside Geraldine’s

family, and Geraldine’s rapist

was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The village held a celebration for the

successful perpetrator accountability,

during which one of the village

elders told IJM staff, “I see now that

we have expected too little for ourselves.

We did not think justice was

possible. We will not make that mistake

again.”

Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is a pervasive form of violent oppression that is both a human rights

violation and a major health risk factor. This broad category of crimes is defined by sexual

contact or attempted sexual contact without meaningful consent. These crimes include

rape, trafficking into commercial sexual exploitation and other forms of sexual abuse

or exploitation.

In countries with weak public justice systems, victims of sexual violence often face major

structural obstacles to justice, including lack of medical forensic capacity to document

proof of abuse. Additionally, victims of sexual violence frequently face cultural or social

stigmas that can discourage them from reporting the crime. Although anyone can be

the victim of sexual violence, women and girls are particularly vulnerable to these forms

of abuse.

The Facts

• In some countries, up to one third of adolescent girls report that

their first sexual experience was forced. (World Health Organization)

• At least one out of every three women in the world has been

raped, beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise violently abused

in her lifetime. (U.N. Development Fund for Women)

• An estimated one in five women will be a victim of rape or

attempted rape in her lifetime. (U.N. Millennium Project)

IJM’s Res ponse

IJM conducts casework on behalf of child victims of rape and other forms of sexual

violence, and on behalf of women and children victimized by sex trafficking. IJM staff

investigate case referrals and collaborate with local officials to secure evidence, rescue

victims from situations of ongoing abuse and prosecute perpetrators. IJM ensures that

victims of these crimes have access to aftercare services, which provide emotional and

physical support for victims and their families.

IJM also works to transform justice systems to prevent vulnerable people from future

victimization by providing training, modeling and direct assistance to local police,

prosecutors and other public justice professionals to build capacity within local systems

to respond to these crimes. IJM has also hosted forensics trainings for medical

professionals, enabling these “first-responders,” to care for victims with sensitivity and

professional excellence.

International Justice Mission

What They do :

IJM seeks to make public justice systems work for victims of abuse and oppression who urgently need the protection of the law.

Collaborative Casework Model

IJM investigators, lawyers and social workers intervene in individual cases of abuse in partnership with state and local authorities.

By pushing individual cases of abuse through the justice system from the investigative stage to the prosecutorial stage, IJM determines the specific source of corruption, lack of resources, or lack of good will in the system denying victims the protection of their legal systems. In collaboration with local authorities, IJM addresses these specific points of brokenness to meet the urgent needs of victims of injustice.

In all of its casework, IJM has a four-fold purpose:

1. Victim Relief

IJM’s first priority in its casework is immediate relief for the victim of the abuse being committed.

2. Perpetrator Accountability

IJM seeks to hold perpetrators accountable for their abuse in their local justice systems. Accountability changes the fear equation: When would-be perpetrators are rightly afraid of the consequences of their abuse, the vulnerable do not need to fear them.

3. Victim Aftercare

IJM aftercare staff and trusted local aftercare partners work to ensure that victims of oppression are equipped to rebuild their lives and respond to the complex emotional and physical needs that are often the result of abuse.

4. Structural Transformation

IJM seeks to prevent abuse from being committed against others at risk by strengthening the community factors and local judicial systems that will deter potential oppressors.

International Justice Mission

About IJM

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local governments to ensure victim rescue, to prosecute perpetrators and to strengthen the community and civic factors that promote functioning public justice systems.

IJM's justice professionals work in their communities in 12 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America to secure tangible and sustainable protection of national laws through local court systems.

IJM Collaborative Casework

IJM investigators, lawyers and social workers intervene in individual cases of abuse in partnership with state and local authorities to ensure proper support for the victim and appropriate action against the perpetrator. Such collaboration is essential to obtain convictions against individual perpetrators and to bring meaning to local laws that are meaningless if not enforced. + Learn More

History

Founded in 1997, IJM began operations in response to a massive need. Historically, humanitarian and missions organizations worked faithfully and courageously to bring healthcare, education, food and other vital services to those who needed them. But little had been done to actually restrain the oppressors who are a source of great harm to the vulnerable.

Concerned by this need, a group of lawyers, human rights professionals and public officials launched an extensive study of the injustices witnessed by overseas missionaries and relief and development workers. This study, surveying more than 65 organizations and representing 40,000 overseas workers, uncovered a nearly unanimous awareness of abuses of power by police and other authorities in the communities where they served. Without the resources or expertise to confront the abuse and to bring rescue to the victims, these overseas workers required the assistance of trained public justice professionals.

Gary Haugen, working as a lawyer at the U.S. Department of Justice and as the United Nations’ Investigator in Charge in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, founded International Justice Mission as a response to this massive need. Today, IJM has grown to more than 300 professionals working in their own communities to fight injustice.

IJM's Response Today

Through individual casework, IJM confronts aggressive human violence: violence that strips widows and orphans of their property and livelihoods, violence that steals dignity and health from children trafficked into forced prostitution, violence that denies freedom and security to families trapped in slavery.

Violence against the poor is not driven by the overwhelming power of the perpetrators – it is driven by the vulnerability of the victims. This violence can be stopped when the power of the law is brought to bear on behalf of those who need it, and when people of good will contribute their financial and professional resources to insisting it stop.

IJM’s casework model combats victimization and violence on the level of the individual, and supports functioning public justice systems where the poor urgently need an advocate.

Core Commitments

In the tradition of heroic Christian leaders like abolitionist William Wilberforce and transformational leaders like Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King, Jr., IJM’s staff stand against violent oppression in response to the Bible’s call to justice (Isaiah 1:17): Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

IJM seeks to restore to victims of oppression the things that God intends for them: their lives, their liberty, their dignity, the fruits of their labor. By defending and protecting individual human rights, IJM seeks to engender hope and transformation for those it serves and restore a witness of courage in places of oppressive violence. IJM helps victims of oppression regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or gender.

Moving Forward

IJM has seen significant progress in its fight against oppression and injustice in the past 10 years, and remains committed to expanding its work in the next decade.

IJM continues to build networks with aftercare and other social service and government providers to ensure long-term care of clients. IJM will continue to secure prosecutions of perpetrators and contribute to positive structural change through on-the-ground involvement with the casework, courts and people of local justice systems around the world. Learn more about IJM by following our latest news from the field and get involved with the work of justice today.

Dame Helen Mirren slates 'British villians' typecast

Dame Helen will next be seen in cinemas in The Tempest Oscar-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren is fed up with Hollywood producers casting British actors as villains. Speaking at an event in Los Angeles to celebrate British success in Hollywood, Dame Helen told the Press Association British actors were an "easy target". "I think it's rather unfortunate that the villain in every movie is always British," she said . "It's just nice to say we're not snooty, stuck-up, malevolent, malignant creatures as we're often portrayed." "We're actually kind of cool and hip!" said the 64-year-old. Shakespeare film Baddies in Hollywood blockbusters are often played by British actors - examples include Sir Ian McKellen as Magneto in the X-Men films and Alfred Molina as Dr Otto Octavius in Spider-Man 2. "I love the idiosyncrasy of the British people, I love the eccentric nature," said Dame Helen. "It's very important to let Americans know that we're not just the royal family, there's a lot more to us than that," she added. The Oscar-winning actress will soon be seen playing a female Prospero in a film adaptation of Shakespeare play The Tempest.

Dame Helen Mirren slates 'British villians' typecast

Dame Helen will next be seen in cinemas in The Tempest Oscar-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren is fed up with Hollywood producers casting British actors as villains. Speaking at an event in Los Angeles to celebrate British success in Hollywood, Dame Helen told the Press Association British actors were an "easy target". "I think it's rather unfortunate that the villain in every movie is always British," she said . "It's just nice to say we're not snooty, stuck-up, malevolent, malignant creatures as we're often portrayed." "We're actually kind of cool and hip!" said the 64-year-old. Shakespeare film Baddies in Hollywood blockbusters are often played by British actors - examples include Sir Ian McKellen as Magneto in the X-Men films and Alfred Molina as Dr Otto Octavius in Spider-Man 2. "I love the idiosyncrasy of the British people, I love the eccentric nature," said Dame Helen. "It's very important to let Americans know that we're not just the royal family, there's a lot more to us than that," she added. The Oscar-winning actress will soon be seen playing a female Prospero in a film adaptation of Shakespeare play The Tempest.