Three Men Walk into a Karaoke Bar, a Politician, a Religious Leader, and a Billionaire: Hidden Drivers of the Anti-Trafficking Agenda

Author: Gillies, Jessica

Abstract: In order to better inform related policy and to progress toward UN SDG5 through improved access to social and global mobility for women and girls, this research explored post-trafficking services via the perspectives of support providers in Australia and Thailand. The paper complements robust criminal justice scholarship by applying a critical feminist lens to contribute to a greater understanding of what takes place following the lived experience of human trafficking. The semi-structured interviews with support service practitioners in government and non-government organizations uncovered an underlying agenda that informed what services are offered. Findings suggest that post-trafficking support services were driven by donors’ priorities rather than those identified by service providers as necessary in delivering positive outcomes for service users. The study concluded that meaningful opportunities for demonstrations of agency within post-trafficking service provision did not exist.

Keywords: post-trafficking support services, Australia, Thailand, donor agenda, neo-abolitionist