My Story My Dignity

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Dear "el dispreciau", Too often we speak on behalf of those who have been trafficked. Instead of us doing the talking, we've asked survivors to tell us what is important to them. As you'll see, how their stories are presented is important. Let's start respecting their experiences and stories by talking about them in the way they wish. Let's give each story the dignity it deserves. Watch Rebekah Charleston telling us how common media representations of trafficking stopped her from seeing her situation for what it really was, and prevented her from getting help when she really needed it. The media relies upon strong stories and eye-catching images when writing about modern slavery. Raising awareness is essential, but so often, as survivors of modern slavery tell us, the images and language used to tell these stories do not reflect them accurately or in a dignified way. Too often the use of victim imagery in the media inflicts "secondary victimization" upon survivors enhancing their feelings of violation, shame, disorientation, and loss of control. Join Rebekah, Sophie and Rebecca calling on the four largest English-language media publications in the world – Associated Press, The New York Times, The Daily Mail and The Guardian – to commit to adopting guidance to represent survivors' stories with dignity. In solidarity,   Zoe, Joanna, Nora and the Freedom United Team P.S. You can chip in to support our work by becoming a Freedom Founder!

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