AWS has been very active in building and participating in coalitions to end domestic violence and human trafficking of all kinds, including forced labor, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation. Upwards of 4 million people are trafficked worldwide every year, and over half are children. A UN study shows it is the third most profitable criminal activity today.

Within the past four years, AWS has put more resources into its anti-trafficking work. To address the needs of trafficked women and children, we have joined forces with other organizations to form the Asian Anti-Trafficking Collaborative (AATC). Our partners are the Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO), Cameron House, and Narika.

This collaborative works to provide legal and social services to trafficked people, including assistance with visas, shelter, case management, support, interpretation, advocacy, and independent living skills. AATC also provides training and technical assistance to build awareness and response among other community-based organizations, and participates in task forces and cross-training with local, state, and federal government systems.