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Mar
20
2012
A True Independence Day
Melissa Partner Organization News 0
It’s been a bit quite here on the blog, but we have some enlightening new content in the works. In the meantime, check out this posts from Hannah Pound at Freeset. Here’s an excerpt (click the link for the full piece). One of the saddest days for me in my time spent in India was on its Independence Day, 15th of August. Since it’s a day off from work, where do you think people swarmed to express their ‘independence’? An area where thousands of women did not celebrated freedom that day. As the fireworks went off and music blared and
Mar
19
2012
Spring Colors Sale + Pinterest Giveaway!
Emily Ethical Fashion, Everyday Abolitionist, Product Information, STF News 6
The flowers are in bloom and temperatures are starting to creep up. However timidly, Spring is approaching. If you’re like me, you’re craving some spring shopping and you’ve probably noticed that the shops are full of bright colors! Now through the end of March we have a great sale going on to help you take advantage of this hot trend, support ethical fashion and empower survivors of trafficking at the same time. When you buy two or more of our brightly colored accessories you can save 25% on your entire order. Just enter the code “Recycled” at checkout! Choose from
Mar
16
2012
Sandals that Empower, Just in Time for Spring!
Emily Empower Women, Ethical Fashion, Everyday Abolitionist 0
Last week we wrote about something that is no easy feat: finding ethical shoes and jeans. I’m very excited to have found another pair of amazing shoes this week! Not only are these shoes ethically produced, they also empower women in Kampala, Uganda. Sseko Designs employs women from the Cornerstone Leadership Academy in Uganda to help them save money for continuing their education at the university level. We love that! You can read more of their story here. On top of having an amazing story, their sandals are beautiful! They have many different strap colors and prints, they are interchangeable and you
Mar
09
2012
Empower Women Through Microloans
Melissa Empower Women 0
One powerful way to empower a woman to provide for and protect her family is through a microloan. Microloans are small loans that allow people to start a shop, buy livestock, or other projects. Many microloans are funded by several people—random people agree to donate $25 or $100 until the full amount is raised. These loans help women start the flow of steady income. When a woman has a source of income, she can provide for her kids. She can send her kids to school and take them to the doctor. When kids grow up with an education and a
Mar
08
2012
Ethical Jeans and Shoes (YES!)
Melissa Ethical Fashion 1
Before we get to shoes and jeans: A Big Announcement! Just like our master page of info about human trafficking, we now have an ethical fashion master page. Learn what ethical fashion is and where to find it. Bookmark the link and share it with your friends. Now on to jeans and shoes—some of the most fun and challenging wardrobe staples. With a little ingenuity (and perhaps some budgeting), you can find fair trade or ethical shoes and jeans. (Find more ethical clothes here.) Here are some places on my shopping list. (Note: Some of the vendors are UK-based. Some
Mar
02
2012
Unique Ways to Rescue Victims of Human Trafficking
We’ve talked about some of the most talked of means of rescue, but there are many variations of the rescue story and many key players who can be involved. And you can be a part. Certain professions like nurses and teachers have a unique vantage point to spot exploitation, but every individual can use their perspective and experience to see when something’s wrong and let someone know. If you see something that just doesn’t look right call the Polaris Project hotline at 1-888-3737-888 (put it in your phone!). Here are several stories about how individuals and professions are banding together
Feb
29
2012
Lawmakers and Law Enforcement in the News
Melissa Trafficking News & Information 0
Lots of states and cities are toughening their human trafficking laws and training their police right now—which is great news! Here’s a rundown of what’s going on. Mississippi Attorney General Touts New Human Trafficking Laws Hood said he is working with legislators to strengthen state laws prohibiting human trafficking and the exploitation of children. Among the proposals he’s working with legislators on is a bill mandating reporting of minors in the commercial sex trade as victims of child abuse or neglect. Hood wants legislation offering protection to minors who are forced to prostitute themselves and heavier penalties for those who
Feb
24
2012
Empowering Women Through Education
Melissa Books & Resources, Empower Women 0
Let’s begin with an understatement: the positive effects of education are far reaching. Education gives women opportunities to earn money, confidence in themselves, and a much wider array of options in life. Even basic literacy helps a woman get a job or use public transportation. Critical thinking skills help her succeed in business and see if people are trying to cheat her. So it’s no wonder traffickers often go after uneducated women. They’re less likely to figure out what’s happening right away, and when they do figure it out, they’re less likely to be able to do something about it.
Feb
22
2012
Learning How to Empower Women from Half the Sky
Melissa Books & Resources, Empower Women 0
This year I’ll be posting quick snippets from Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Pulitzer Prize–winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The book is a must-read if you want to learn how to empower women. (Read about why empowering women is a key to ending human trafficking.) Sometimes these post will be summaries, sometimes just bits of information to get you thinking and interested. To get the full effect, read the book. It has more ideas, information, and encouraging stories than I could fit on the blog. Introduction: The Girl Effect This section highlights
Feb
17
2012
STF Featured on Trendhunter
Emily Ethical Fashion, Fair Trade, Press, STF News 0
Thanks to Trendhunter.com and Socialbusiness.org for featuring Stop Traffick Fashion and an interview with me! Trendhunter covers trends across a huge array of topics and Socialbusiness.org compiles all those related to social enterprises. Do you have any of your own favorite social enterprises? Leave a comment on this post, we’d love to hear from you so we can encourage support of other social enterprises and spread the word. Here are a couple of the Q&As from their article about STF: 1. How did the idea for the business model come about? Stop Traffick Fashion is part of my abolitionist journey.