Yesterday while surfing through news articles, I came across a story linking Joren van der Sloot to sex trafficking rings in Thailand and Asia. Van der Sloot, as you may know, remains the only suspect in the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway. With his most recent alleged murder case still pending in Peru, one can only roll their eyes at the thought of this guy still evading prosecution after being involved with two high profile cases. The level of public awareness in these cases reflects the justice that the families and citizens would like to see brought to this character. So who seeks to bring this man to justice? Who seeks justice for any woman or child who has become a victim at the hands of a merciless crime? Of course there will be someone who wants justice, but more importantly, will they receive justice? I wonder about the nameless and faceless women who may have been trafficked into slavery as a part of van der Sloot’s exploits. I wonder why the allegedly trafficked Thai women only receive a mere sentence or two in the news, while other women receive international coverage. What about the girls who do not get a high profile case with media coverage across all corners of the country? I asked myself a question: Do certain people get more justice than others? If not for the Natalee Holloway case, would the world have ever heard about van der Sloot’s murder accusation in Peru or the girls he has allegedly trafficked from Thailand to Holland while posing as a modeling agency consultant? Women and children time and time again have been denied their basic freedoms and rights. Those people who have been denied obtaining justice for all that has been done to them are being denied their freedoms by those in a higher socioeconomic class. Globally, impoverished and invisible people have been cast by the wayside, forgotten as useless growing populations that are deemed “someone else’s” responsibility. These women and girls are the invisible population in our towns, states, and countries that are victims of vast injustices but will remain unknown because their stories were never covered in the media. People become invisible by no fault of their own, but at the hands of those who turn the other cheek. They do not receive justice and bystanders wonder why these atrocities, these crimes against humanity continue. The fact that money, race, class, or education has determined their place in society does not mean they deserve justice any less than someone else. Women and children, a historically marginalized group, encompassing still suffer from the prejudices projected upon them. If more time is devoted to protecting and uplifting women all over the world, we will continue to bring justice to those who are victims of violence. Human rights violations will happen because invisible populations continue to be forgotten. In order for invisible peoples to receive justice for crimes committed against them, they need to be given a face, they need to be given a name, but most importantly, they need to be given LOVE. Women and children who have become trafficking survivors need people to genuinely take interest in their lives and in their hearts. Love makes people feel wanted and known. Love makes the invisible visible. Stories of survivors must be continued to be shared, to be made known, and to be given a voice in their struggle. As abolitionists, we must seek to show the world that despite the lack of attention shown to invisible people, that they are people who deserve justice just as much as the next person. We will refuse to allow them to remain invisible. This question strikes at the heart of what must drive us to end trafficking. It is my life’s devotion to make the invisible visible, to give a voice to those whose voice is not heard. I will continue to give justice and voices to those who have disappeared and been forgotten. I encourage you to not give up the fight until every victim and survivor of trafficking has been given the ability to bring their traffickers to justice and to know that they were not forgotten.

Abbe