World Without Exploitation Youth Summit

By Natasha Mayer

Last week, I had the privilege of attending World Without Exploitation’s 2nd Annual Youth Summit. Led by Lauren Hersh, World Without Exploitation seeks to create a world where no person is trafficked, sold, or exploited. The event was geared toward young adults under the age of 28 and was very well attended by students, interns, and young professionals. After Lauren’s moving and informative introduction, which framed the day so effectively, the agenda featured panels on topics including intersectionality, socioeconomic inequality, and men as allies in the fight to stop trafficking. I attended a fascinating breakout session on neo-liberalism and feminism, where I learned the historical context of Ronald Reagan’s and Margaret Thatcher’s policies, and how an unregulated free market opens the door for traffickers to harm women and girls. Other breakout sessions included intersectionality in depth, storytelling, and public health.

During the networking lunch, I was delighted to see so many young women discussing what they’d been learning, and how excited they were to continue talking about the crisis of commercial sex trafficking. Huge congratulations are due to Lauren and her amazing team for putting together such a successful and well-received event!