23rd Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Human Trafficking
Honorable Tanya Gould commenced by acknowledging her position within the human trafficking survivor community and expressing gratitude for the support of her government, family, and local community. She emphasized the significance of sharing survivor narratives to educate policymakers and the public, drawing upon both her own experiences and those of others. Gould highlighted the critical distinction between “victim” an individual who has suffered harm as a result of a crime and “survivor” someone who has endured harm but continues a journey toward healing and offers insight and leadership. She explained how survivors contribute strategically by identifying root causes, systemic barriers, service gaps, and outreach shortcomings that fail to reach those at risk. Believing survivors’ stories, she stressed, is essential for healing and preventing history from repeating. Gould further underscored the role of survivor leadership in policymaking, noting that survivors act with sincere urgency to prevent others from experiencing similar exploitation. She described her work in Virginia, including a survivor survey to better understand experiences and service needs, and collaboration with legislators to align messaging and training across agencies. Finally, she conveyed a message to traffickers and buyers that exploitation has no place in modern society, advocating for human dignity, respect, and accountability, and encouraged global support for survivor councils via the provided QR code.
