Trusting the Journey – The Natural Shift from Poverty Reduction to Anti-Trafficking Advocate

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AUTHOR: Kizzann sammy

Kizzann Sammy has almost 20 years of experience in international development and foreign policy.  She works with government, private sector and civil society in the Americas and the Caribbean on areas related to economic development, economic crime/fraud, gender, urban planning, citizen security, migration, health, and education. 

The road to a foreign policy career is rarely a straight line.  At least, that was my journey.  After completing my graduate degree in international development, I was convinced that I had a clear road ahead working for the United Nations or some multilateral group focused on transnational migration and poverty reduction.  I completed my degree at a well-ranked graduate school in the US, and through internships and volunteering, had acquired a range of practical experience in health and education programming. It was then, and with some surprise, that I landed a job with a newly formed agency in the Caribbean that focused on anti-crime initiatives and security across 20 countries.  

It was a strange switch to view development from the lens of a security policy analyst but it opened my eyes to the effects of immigration, customs, and policing on economic and social development. For instance, I learned how migration policies to promote free movement of goods and people could unwittingly lay the groundwork for persons being trafficked across the borders while responding to what seemed a legitimate job advertisement, which led to my observation that human trafficking should be an economic discussion. Here I share my tips on how you can study security policy and help to tackle human trafficking.

What is human trafficking?

Let me share some of what I’ve learned about human trafficking:

  • Human trafficking, as defined by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) includes forced labour under state authorities, labour exploitation in the private sector (e.g., agriculture and domestic work), and victims of sexual exploitation.  According to the US Department of the Treasury, 89 million people were trafficked between 2012 and 2016.  

  • In 2016, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada produced a report on indicators that connected money laundering to financial transactions linked to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.   The indicators highlighted service industries among several types of financial transactions used to mask human trafficking and sexual exploitation, namely fast food restaurants, massage parlours, clothing stores and online advertising and promotional services.  

  • By 2018, the FATF, using figures from the International Labour Organization, noted that estimated proceeds from human trafficking increased from USD 32 billion in 2011 to USD 150.2 billion in 2018 (Financial Flows from Human Trafficking Report).  Of this global figure, it was estimated that USD 99 billion was made through forced sexual exploitation, despite labour exploitation being the largest type of trafficking recorded by the ILO.  

  • The Polaris Project tracks 25 types of human trafficking and noted that Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) individuals made up six of every 10 persons trafficked under the agriculture sector in the US.  In 2020, the US Treasury launched its National Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit Financing, naming proceeds from human trafficking tied to money laundering as “one of the most significant illicit finance threats facing the United States”.  And under its 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report, the US Department of State noted that the redirection of resources during the pandemic to health and economic priorities resulted in a global reduction in financing for anti-trafficking initiatives.  

The trade of human beings across borders in LAC can ultimately be described as a series of financial transactions, fuelling illicit trade, and feeding into the informal economy.  In its 2020 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, the United Nations noted that 57% (Source: United Nations, 2020, p. 14) of trafficking victims were coerced into trafficking through a business-enterprise type under an organized criminal group.  

Sectors that were traditionally viewed as safe options, particularly for women in domestic work, garment, agriculture, and catering, can often become risky options as persons are illegally detained, forced across state lines or moved between borders.  A seemingly legitimate advertisement in an online forum for childcare providers in Brazil, could then lead to sexual exploitation in a Caribbean island, as victims' passports are confiscated, they are threatened with deportation and along with language barriers, limit their access to help or an avenue to escape.  Along with the heightened risk posed to women, are additional risks posed to LGBTQI+ individuals, who still have little recognition and support from most LAC governments (Martinez and Kelle, 2013, adapted from United Nations, 2020).

With its proximity to the US and Canada, LAC relies heavily on trade from its northern partners.  Tourism and agriculture dominate most of the LAC economies, and women and girls are often at the forefront of the services industries, supporting hospitality, food, and other related services for tourists.  The dominance of women in informal economies and service sectors make them more vulnerable to be potential targets by human traffickers.  Gender issues and women’s empowerment are often placated under a sub-ministry, and more priority is given to creating new opportunities for growth through targeted tourism initiatives or more aggressive service provision.  So policymakers are unwittingly creating environments that foster economic growth but do little to educate and protect citizens from groups seeking to target and exploit its nationals.   

On a personal note, as a single woman travelling from island to island in my early career, I was constantly assessed and viewed as a potential threat, experiencing discrimination by border officials who presumed I was smuggling drugs from Latin America as I transited regularly through Miami from various Caribbean and Central American countries.  It struck me that while immigration and customs officials viewed me as a threat, at no point did they consider that my movement might make me more vulnerable, or that I may have been an unwilling participant being shuttled from place to place.  It was this voice that was missing in the policy discussion.  

Education and security

Inspired by my job at the security agency, I pursued an MBA in Economic Crime and Fraud Management and found myself in a technical environment that focused on economics, information technology, finance and accounting in targeting money laundering, counter-terrorism and corruption.  Studying this reinforced my earlier thinking that human trafficking was indeed a financial crime, as well as a human rights violation.  Accounting skills for forensic investigations or economic projections of micro, meso and macro impacts of proceeds of crime was not something covered in most foreign policy degrees.  

A legal background (LLB or JD) was also an asset for prosecuting human trafficking, as was a degree in psychology to support awareness and reintegration programming.  The program reinforced the importance of hard skills with every new case study and reviewed foreign policy under this degree.  To effectively create policies and institutional frameworks to combat human trafficking and other financial crimes, one needs hard skills in core areas that feed into the economic and social frameworks of a country.  

Here are a few tips on how you can add security policy skills to your international affairs or international development degree:

  • If law appeals to you, add some legal courses to your program, like international law, criminology, or immigration.  You can also consider applying for a joint JD/MA program if your university offers this option.  I have been part of teams that did legal drafting of treaties and model legislation, and there are often occasions where I had to read Bills, Acts and other pieces of legislation to understand how it affected security issues. Some type of formal legal training is handy if you want to be part of policy drafting and analysis.

  • If you are a numbers person or feel comfortable with a computer, a joint MBA/MA program will offer both business and policy training, with practical courses focused on accounting or finance.  This will take you down a path of auditing, using forensic accounting or digital forensics.  Another option is to look at economic crime management, which will explore the effects of criminal activity on various levels of the economy.

If a joint degree is too much, consider a post-graduate certification, such as CISA, CAMS, CFCS or a CPA.    Certifications that specialise in compliance, investigation or accounting, along with your graduate degree, can support program monitoring and projects evaluations for public and private organisations.

  • Security issues most often affect disenfranchised communities, so courses in gender, social work, psychology and indigenous history and culture should give you cross-cutting skills that will feed into the creation and monitoring of security policies. 

  • If you are still trying to decide on a major for your undergraduate degree, having a focus on one of these areas will enhance your body of knowledge, and give you greater insight into the nuances of security policy creation.

COVID-19 and Human Trafficking

Women from all walks of life are potential victims of human trafficking, and this risk has been heightened under the COVID-19 pandemic.  Groups like the United Nations, Organization of American States, International Organization for Migration and the Inter-American Development Bank are promoting more awareness and partnering with civil society groups and governments to support human trafficking victims.  To change the dialogue and push for stronger action against human trafficking, women need to be at the forefront of policy discussions.  

Equally important, is promoting the need for human trafficking to be defined, investigated, and prosecuted as both a financial and human rights crime.  This approach should ensure that systems are in place at the policy, legislative and civil levels providing awareness, rescue. and recovery for victims, while actively tracking and prosecuting traffickers.  Skills in accounting, economics, finance, law, and social services are needed within foreign policy discussions, to support an all-sector approach to combating modern slavery.

Closing thoughts

On July 30th, the United Nations observed the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.  The theme this year was "Victims’ Voices Lead the Way", and the campaign highlighted survivors’ roles in combating modern slavery.  

I encourage you to find a space for your voice in this area of human security with its ties to foreign policy.  While we are seeing more women involved, ultimately women leaders are needed to reinforce the balance between physical and psychological protections and economic empowerment for women and girls.

To learn more about human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Latin America and the Caribbean: