At the Somaly Mam Foundation, and through our grant partners, we believe that education is key to changing these norms and that when people know better they will do better. That’s why we work to raise awareness about what conditions are truly like for these girls. We appeal to all individuals—men, women, judges, police officers, soldiers, brothel customers—as moral human beings. Knowledge is the first step and it leads to compassion.
The MOON: You describe bringing survivors to talk to groups of men—such as soldiers and policemen—about the conditions in the brothels and of the exploitation and abuse that you and many other women have faced. What is the reaction of the men? Are attitudes among men changing? Is it empowering or healing for victims to make these presentations? What are some of the other methods you use to help victims recover? What do you mean when you say you use a “holistic” approach to recovery?
Mam: For those survivors who choose to share their stories, it can be empowering to have their voices heard and to know that by doing so they are helping to create change. That’s what our Voices for Change (VFC) program is designed to do. Survivors participate in a three-phase training program involving education and vocational training, psychological support, and advocacy practice. These survivor-leaders lend their voices and experiences to the recovery, support, and reintegration of other survivors in Cambodia. They also speak with government officials, police and law enforcement, and the general public, calling for an end to slavery and sexual exploitation in the next generation. Some of our Voices for Change leaders even host their own radio talk show for the purpose of raising awareness in the community. In Cambodia, radio is still the best way to reach the masses. Not all people have access to television or the internet—but nearly everyone has access to a battery-powered radio.
In addition, as I mentioned earlier, Voices for Change leaders engage their peers in creating local activism to combat human trafficking. They arm students in rural areas with information about the root causes of trafficking, the methods recruiters use, the reality of a trafficked life, the factors that might make their friends and neighbors vulnerable, and how to identify someone in need of assistance. They encourage students to package this information into their own campaigns they can disseminate within their own communities.
One of the most important aspects of our work is providing skills-training for other occupations besides the sex trade. From the beginning at AFESIP Cambodia, we bought sewing machines so that girls could learn to become tailors, and we taught them basic self-employment skills, such as bookkeeping. In time, other girls developed businesses selling handmade jewelry or other crafts through our partner organizations. Some learn the restaurant business.
Our most recent partnership, which opened its doors on International Day of the Girl on October 11, 2013, is a social enterprise project with Estee Lauder Companies and AFESIP. It’s called the Somaly Mam Beauty Salon and it is located in the tourist district of Siem Reap, Cambodia, in close proximity to the Angkor Wat temple complex. This facility is not only a full-service beauty salon for visitors, but also a training center for survivors to pursue careers as aestheticians and stylists, and a place for visitors to learn more about trafficking. Without giving young women other means to support themselves and their families, it is too easy for them to be vulnerable to the sex trade.
We know that we are making an impact far beyond the individual girls we work with, many of whom are now proudly self-employed. We see it in the fact that we can have open conversations about human trafficking—a subject that used to be taboo. We see it in the growing instances of government and police partnerships to stop human trafficking. And we see it in a growing trust in the rule of law, which is critical to combating corruption and protecting the victims.These are really remarkable accomplishments to have achieved in less than a generation.
Nevertheless, we cannot end the problem of human trafficking without tackling the demand side. To this end, we ensure that our networks of students, activists, and other allies on the ground are working to shift thought and influence behavior. Our student network strives to instill in young men and boys an understanding of the dark side of the sex trade – the side that exploits and enslaves. Through this awareness we believe we can deter their willingness to participate in such transactions. Similarly, when we train police and other law enforcement agents, we try to expose them to the reality of what being in a brothel means for all too many women and children.
The MOON: Though you had never known mothering and felt that motherhood would be “impossible” for you, when your daughter was born, you felt as if your life “began again.” How has motherhood changed you?
Mam: Mothering has been a wonderful experience for me and has made me realize even more that life is love. Before my daughter was born, I never thought about being a mother, as I grew up without one myself. However, after having my daughter, I have watched her grow up alongside the girls at the AFESIP centers. There have been times when I have wanted to give up this work, but my daughter asked me to continue to help the girls. She even asked me once to keep going as my birthday present to her! Day by day, I learn the meaning of life through sharing it with my children.
The MOON: Nicholas Kristof has called you “the Harriet Tubman of Southeast Asia’s brothels.” How do you compare your struggle to end sexual slavery to the struggle to end slavery in the U.S. one hundred and fifty years ago? What forces do you face that make your struggle more difficult? What tools do you have, if any, that make your struggle easier—or more likely to succeed?
Mam: It takes five minutes to save a girl from a brothel but it can take years for her to recover. There are still many individuals who return to brothels after reintegration because they lack support from their family or community. This is a challenge for which there is no easy answer.
Corruption makes it very difficult to protect the women and children who are victims of this profitable industry. We advocate for rule of law: we work to be sure that the laws to protect victims and prosecute traffickers are in place, and that they are followed. We work closely with the government and the anti-trafficking police, and survivors train them to recognize and address trafficking cases.
Today, survivors across the globe are also serving as advocates. Survivors have acknowledged the impact of trafficking on their lives and are willing to speak about it. This in itself is a huge change. Elevating the survivor voice will help the movement to succeed because these stories command attention, and people respond. I also think technological innovation has helped our cause in a way that Harriet Tubman couldn’t count on: it’s much easier and faster to communicate with others now—not just locally, but around the world. However, technology also helps traffickers, so it can be a double-edged sword.
The MOON: I found it interesting that your fellow Cambodians treated you with hatred and contempt—even as a tiny child—because you were dark-skinned and “ugly,” when to Western eyes you are clearly beautiful. It is such a tragic example of the way racism, or ethnicism, blinds us. It was also instructive, and ironic, how readily their contempt disappeared when you returned to your village a financial success. What have you learned about racism and ethnicism in your travels and your work?
Mam: I’ve learned that discrimination is not exclusive to Cambodia. It can be found all over the world. And it always results in a tragic loss of human potential. If I—an impoverished girl growing up in the hills of Cambodia—could become a leader in the fight against human trafficking, how can we afford to throw anyone away? How can we say of anyone, “Oh, she’ll never amount to anything”?
As human beings we all have value. People can develop their value and potential through loving one another. I strongly believe that through love we can overcome all obstacles, including discrimination and hate. Love can mend even the deepest, unseen wounds. Love can heal, love can console, love can strengthen, and yes, love can make change.
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