The need for boosting aftercare for victims of human trafficking – Jewish Herald-Voice

Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery. Shamefully, Houston is a hub for human trafficking in Texas and the U.S. On the other hand, Houston also is a hub for the anti-trafficking movement. For example, Houston was the first city in the U.S. to establish a full-time position in the mayor's cabinet to address trafficking and to develop a comprehensive Anti-Human Trafficking Strategic Plan.

In 2018, Sharon Windham founded United For Human Dignity, a Houston nonprofit whose mission is to overcome trafficking through education, employment and emotional support.

“Our mission is to give survivors of sex trafficking the resources they need to complete their education and create new opportunities for their future,” Windham told the JHV.

“Survivors face countless challenges when trying to re-enter society and obtain sustainable employment. Lack of education, insufficient resources and, for some, an undeserving criminal record are obstacles that are difficult to overcome. These, along with other barriers, can lead to feelings of low self-worth and despair. As a way to survive, some go back to sex work,” said Windham.

Sex trafficking strips a person of their dignity, explained Windham. Victims are compelled to engage in commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud or coercion.

“When people come out of ‘the life,' dignity is crucial to serving them and meeting their needs,” said Windham.

Before she became involved with UFHD, Windham knew “absolutely nothing” about sex trafficking.

“I was on LinkedIn and saw a post from an anti-trafficking organization that needed someone with marketing background. I got real nosy about the issue. I began going to meetings and educated myself. I noticed that, at the time, there was a concentration of resources in rescue, recovery and prevention efforts. However, there were scarce resources for victim-recovery services.

“I started asking: What happens to the sex trafficking survivor afterwards? I didn't see any local organizations helping with the aftercare of victims.”

Initially, Windham's model for UFHD was based on a Jewish Family Service model. JFS offers services that support and transform the lives of individuals, families and communities by empowering them to strengthen skills, achieve goals and make decisions that will change the trajectory of their lives.

Windham sees economic empowerment at the heart of helping survivors.

“The job opportunities for most trafficked survivors are very limited,” said Windham. “Yet, I've found survivors to be very resilient. We've started developing relationships with local businesses. Many of these companies are willing to do on-the-job training.”

Among the services that UFHD offers are classes in money management. Although the commercial sex trade generates large profits for traffickers, victims do not share the income.

“When you're a trafficked person, you have no say in your own money. You have no idea how much your life costs. Simple financial skills, such as how to make a budget, how to save and how to invest can be overwhelming. We begin by looking at what is realistic right now. The classes we offer in money management are part of an ongoing relationship we develop with our clients,” said Windham.

In 2021, Texas legislators passed a law that turned the crime of buying sex from a Class B misdemeanor to a felony. Targeting demand by going after buyers and banning the purchase of sexual services is seen by some as the best strategy of reducing sex trafficking and prostitution. Results have not been rigorously assessed for effectiveness.

Houston Police Department records show 37% of prostitution arrests have been made in Southwest Houston. Almost all of those were in the “Bissonnet Track,” the area along the south side of Bissonnet Street from the Southwest Freeway to the Sam Houston Parkway.

A JHV staff member lives in a nearby neighborhood. He drives through the Bissonnet Track nearly every day and at various hours. Despite the installation of two large signs on the Bissonnet esplanade announcing “Solicitation of Prostitution is a Felony … Cameras are Working. Violators will be Prosecuted,” he believes the commercial sex business appears to be booming. That conclusion is inferred by visual counts of scantily clad women on their smartphones walking Bissonnet.

“Houston is doing a great job at finding ways of coming together to deal with this issue,” said Windham. “Our support groups are nationwide because they are virtual. We also offer support groups for male survivors, LGBT people and sex workers.

“As a Jewish woman, I would love to see more Jewish women involved. Many of the anti-trafficking organizations are Christian faith-based. I'd like to see the Jewish community become more involved. That could come from individuals and corporate partners, whether they have products or services they can offer survivors.

“At the core of Judaism is the idea of appreciating life, no matter where one starts out from. Survivors are more than their experiences. Everyone deserves to have a chance to improve their quality of life. We offer ongoing support, career coaching, financial management workshops and support groups. All our programs are informed by our core value: treating others with kindness, respect and human dignity.

For more information, visit ufhd.org.

This article is pulled “as is” from the Google News Alert “human trafficking.”