ACRATH - Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans – is inviting Australians to stand with them and the victim/survivors of human trafficking who need help by donating to sustain its work.

“ACRATH is working tirelessly to bring an end to modern slavery and there has never been a more important time to double our efforts. With your support so much has been achieved and these gains, after years of advocacy, give hope to victim/survivors of human trafficking,” ACRATH says in a statement on its website.

*ACRATH is seeking donations to support its ongoing work against modern slavery. IMAGE: ACRATH website.*

The 2023 Global Slavery Index estimates that there are 41,000 men and women living in modern slavery in Australia. There are 50 million people living in slavery globally, millions of them are children, deprived of education and safety.

Modern slavery is now more recognised thus a higher number of reports in Australia. The Australian Federal Police received 340 reports over the 2022/23 financial year, an increase of 13 per cent compared to the previous year – 26 per cent were forced marriage, 21 per cent sexual exploitation and almost 13 per cent forced labour.

“This year, we need $350,000 and a three-year commitment to strengthen our programs and double our impact,” ACRATH says.

Among the highlights of ACRATH’s work in the past year was the development of the Educating for Change program, which is being rolled out across Australian universities to equip students and staff with the skills to identify human trafficking and ways to respond to reports or concerns. The program is supported by an advisory committee that includes St Vincent’s Health Australia, Australian Federal Police, and the NSW Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s office.

ACRATH also launched its 16 Days of Activism campaign in Rome with the Australian Ambassador to the Holy See Chiara Porro, focusing on women migrant workers vulnerable to exploitation. The campaign asks people across the globe to focus on the plight of women migrating across the world for work and has been picked up by global organisations supporting migrant workers.

ACRATH members were also busy delivering training and advocacy sessions across the healthcare sector and schools as well as providing advocacy at Parliament House in Canberra, and direct support to trafficked women and their children through ACRATH’s supervised and volunteer-based Companionship Program.

“The successes of ACRATH and our supporters are many but the goal to eradicate modern slavery is complex and multifaceted across industries, communities, and sectors. Without secure multi-year funding in these challenging times, we will not be able to deliver the programs needed at scale to bring an end to human trafficking in Australia,” their statement says.

ACRATH said it is asking for a three-year funding commitment because advocating for change takes long-term planning, staff and resources.

“We will never stop working for change. Will you stand with us and the victim/survivors of human trafficking who need our help?”

This article is drawn from information on the ACRATH website:.