Identifying Exploitation: The Gateway to Justice
Sarah Scott Webb, MA (she/her); Jennifer Roemhildt Tunehag (she/her); Helen Avadiar-Nimbalker, MSc, MA, CCTP (she/her) & Peta-Ann Small (she/her) | September 23 | 3:15-4:15 pm EDT
Topic: Legal, International | Knowledge Level: Advanced
The global response to human trafficking continues to be limited by one critical gap: most victims are never identified. Building on insights presented at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), the World Freedom Network advances the concept that victim identification is the gateway to justice and must be strengthened as a coordinated, cross-sector practice rather than treated as a technical intervention within single systems. This presentation introduces a practical framework for understanding victim identification as a shared process occurring across government agencies, healthcare providers, civil society organizations, the private sector and faith-based communities. It argues that identification is not a single event but a distributed responsibility requiring awareness, confidence, and coordination at multiple points of contact with vulnerable populations. Drawing on global network engagement across multiple regions, the session identifies key barriers that prevent recognition of exploitation, including fragmented responses, limited frontline training, and systemic blind spots that leave the majority of trafficked persons invisible to protection systems. It also presents examples of how sectors can strengthen their role in recognizing indicators of exploitation earlier and responding collaboratively. Strengthening identification practices expands pathways to protection, accountability, and survivor-centered justice. Participants will gain a practical framework for engaging their own sectors in earlier recognition of exploitation and strengthening coordinated identification responses that make access to justice possible.
Presentation Objectives:
• Explain victim identification and its critical role in recognizing exploitation and initiating pathways to justice
• Describe key barriers that prevent effective identification across sectors
• Discuss practical ways government, civil society, private sector, and faith actors can strengthen identification efforts
• Identify strategies to improve coordinated identification pathways that support access to protection and justice