The Tribune

A LOCAL non-profit, Our Sanctuary, has joined an international group of anti-human trafficking organisations by being named to the Global Modern Slavery Directory.

Our Sanctuary is a Bahamian nonprofit, that advocates for survivors of sexual abuse, exploitation and human trafficking in The Bahamas and the region at large.

According to a press release, the NGO is working throughout The Bahamas to make sure the sexual violence is neither tolerated nor ignored, where survivors are provided the recourses needed to feel protected, as well as protecting vulnerable children and adults from sexual explanation.

McCall Philippe, Our Sanctuary’s executive director, said the news brings tremendous validity to the group, which advocates for and supports victims of sexual abuse and trafficking. The Global Modern Slavery Directory is a publicly searchable database of over 2,900 organisations and hotlines working on human trafficking and forced labour around the world.

“We have only scratched the surface in our country when it comes to bringing awareness that sexual abuse and human trafficking are an every day, every minute, every second occurrence in The Bahamas,” said Ms Philippe. “We want survivors or potential victims to have the tools to combat sexual abuse, sex trafficking and other forms of modern slavery in our islands.

“Sex trafficking is a $150 billion-a-year criminal industry. By joining the Global Directory we make sure we are identifying and supporting survivors in our community, who have freed themselves from this nightmare. By collaborating and coordinating between organisations, community leaders, business owners, and government agencies is key.”

The directory currently lists more than 600 organisations in the United States, and another 2,300 around the world. It is the most comprehensive database of modern slavery organisations ever compiled for the public, with more than 190 countries represented.

The directory is managed by Polaris, based in Washington, DC. Being a member of such directory will facilitate Our Sanctuary to collaborate with anti-human trafficking agencies internationally to better connect victims of trafficking and at-risk persons to the help they need, Ms Philippe said.

The Global Directory can and is expected to be accessed and utilised by members of the public worldwide.