Oct
20
2012
L’Espoire Collection – It’s Here!
Emily Ethical Fashion, Product Information, STF News 1
Free—Loved—Radiant Celebrate with survivors of human trafficking. L’Espoir, our new line t-shirts, jewelry, and bags, features images that symbolize the hope of survivors of human trafficking. But their hope is more than just a symbol. Every loving meal they feed their children, every day they’re free to stay off the line in the red light district, every hope-filled dollar they save for their future is a tangible piece of their hope. The L’Espoir collection is crafted by these women of tangible hope, and each piece gives you a concrete way to be a part of their radiant future.
Oct
18
2012
Why Aftercare Is Vital
Melissa Empower Women, Survivor Stories 0
Rescue is an unspeakably critical turning point for victims of human trafficking; but aftercare is what turns a victim into a survivor. It helps women heal from the physical and emotion trauma they’ve faced, and it gives them a marketable skill they can use to provide for themselves and their families. As healed, capable women they develop an enduring sense of dignity and pride. This combination of education and self-worth is the best defense against being trafficked again. And, as the icing on the cake, these women create beautiful jewelry, clothing, and accessories—Stop Traffick Fashion exists because of successful aftercare.Read more
Sep
04
2012
The Plight of Women in India–and How You Can Help
Melissa Empower Women 0
India often makes news for its efforts to empower women, including it’s rule that 50 percent of leaders in local government must be female; but Amnesty International lists India as the worst place in the G20 for women. The article describes challenges women face at every stage of life. After we look at the challenges women face, we’ll look at group that’s working to empower women—and how you can get involved. Some of India’s provinces have among the most extreme male-to-female sex ratios in the world. In Mumbai, one of the world’s financial capitals, where only 860 girls are bornRead more
May
08
2012
Everyday Abolitionist: Dan McKown
Melissa Empower Women, Ethical Fashion, Everyday Abolitionist 0
Everyday Abolitionist is a recurring feature on the blog where we’ll hear firsthand from someone using their skills, talents, and opportunities to fight trafficking. This time around we have Dan McKown who is a business veteran working with Freeset and Freedom Initiatives. Read about more Everyday Abolitionists. How did I first find out about human trafficking? I was able to retire from a 34 year career with a Fortune 500 company at the age of 55. I remember making a statement at one of my retirement dinners that I didn’t know what I was planning to do next for theRead more
Apr
12
2012
Forgo: Curb Your Consumption to Help End Human Trafficking
Melissa Empower Women, Ethical Fashion, Everyday Abolitionist 4
Here’s a cool new tool for everyday abolitionists, ethical fashionistas, and anyone who wants to end human trafficking. Many of us want to spend less on stuff we don’t need and give more to causes we believe in. And yet we often don’t do either as much as we’d like. Sometimes a good system can help us stick to goals. That’s where Forgo comes in: Using innovative technology to take advantage of smart phone platform, FORGO is a lifestyle application designed for consumers to FORGO small purchases throughout the day in order to support a humanitarian cause of their choice.Read more
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 andRead more
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. SomeRead more
Jan
21
2012
STF Style Files: 1.2012
Emily Fair Trade, Style Files 0
Dec
29
2011
Dhanyabad! Ar Kun! Khawp Khun! Asante! Thank You!
Melissa Everyday Abolitionist, Partner Organization News, Survivor Stories 0
Thanks for fighting trafficking with STF this year! In this season of thankfulness and family, don’t forget the men, women, and children around the world whose lives have been changed because of everyday abolitionists like you. Thanks to you, not only did we have a direct impact on survivors’ lives by empowering them with safe jobs, fair wages and other benefits, we were also able to make donations to Hagar International and Freeset.
Dec
15
2011
Keep Girls Home for Christmas
Melissa Fair Trade, Partner Organization News, Trafficking News & Information 0
Check out this blog post from Freeset this fall. It’s tough to face the heartbreak, but let the heartbreak fuel your resolve to the goal—no more trafficking. Ending trafficking keeps young girls safe at home—for the holidays and always. Shopping fair trade helps families have options and prevents the desperation and despair of poverty that helps fuel trafficking.