Episode 15: Anti-Trafficking and the Big Business of White Saviorism in the Rescue Industry

// Trigger Warning // During this episode, we discuss topics related to sexual violence, abuse and rape, racism, and intersectional trauma. If you need to at any point, pause, step away or just stop listening, I understand. Unpacking these topics can be incredibly difficult, which is why I believe it is important to create safe spaces for critical conversations because it is these very unfiltered and raw conversations that allow us to deconstruct systems of oppression.

Anti-Trafficking, White Saviorism + Christian Supremacy

Human trafficking is a complex issue with layers of deep seated power structures influencing the way we both understand and think about trafficking. All too often, the narratives we read and share fail to capture the nuance that makes this industry so complex. The images we see are compelling -- those of young women, mostly women of color in the Global South, looking weak and disempowered. Their stories, often told through a translator, are powerful and typically follow the same storytelling structure, subconsciously etching stereotypes of communities and cultures into our psyches. Those stories coupled with a call to action pull at our heart strings, captivating our attention and compelling us to either donate or buy a product in hopes that we too can feel like heroes, saving these poor women from modern day slavery. 

During the last episode, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra spoke with Madina Wardak about the ways in which the global narratives about Afghan women perpetuate harmful stereotypes that deny any form of agency. We see these same themes play out in conversations surrounding the anti-trafficking industry. From refugee resettlement efforts to anti-trafficking organizations, often “doing good” centers the “hero,” all while continuing to sideline the voices of those who are being “saved.” This puts the “savior” up on a pedestal while turning those whose stories are being used into nothing more than a metric with a marketable soundbite. The blatant stereotypes that are often perpetuated by anti-trafficking organizations reinforce the pervasive assumption that women of color are oppressed by using terms such as “rescuing” or “saving,” which take power and agency away from the individual. With a hyper-fixation on sex trafficking, anti-trafficking organizations often fail to recognize the many other forms of trafficking that exists, including forced labor. 

During Episode 15 of Art of Citizenry Podcast, Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by Rachel Faller, the co-creator of zero-waste fashion brand, tonlé. Together, they deconstruct the ways in which the anti-trafficking industry is a perpetuation of Christian supremacy, rooted in imperialistic and colonial power structures that further the belief in Euro-American superiority.

Feeding the Ego of the Hero

The ‘Rescue Industry’ is built on layers of self-aggrandizing saviorism and unchecked accountability. At its core, it is about power — who yields it and who wields it — and it thrives on centering the hero who believes their compass of morality is the definition of progress.

Half the Story: Holding Nicholas Kristof Accountable

A lot of the narratives surrounding Human Trafficking upheld by the Rescue Industry are influenced deeply by the work of Nicholas Kristof, a Pulitzer Prize winning NY Times journalist and the author of many do-gooders’ bible, “Half the Sky." His reporting, writing, and stereotypical interpretations of human trafficking have not just influenced the narratives within the industry, but have also inspired many to start social enterprises, especially those dedicated to addressing trafficking.

In 2011, Rachel Faller published an open letter to Kristof calling out exploitation that was taking place under the care of a woman who has been referred to as one of the world’s most compelling activists, Somaly Mam in Cambodia. Kristof had been promoting this organization. In a more recent article, Rachel wrote: “Kristof had been promoting this organization and its founder for years, bolstering their claims, sending them praise, and along with this endorsement came millions of dollars, accolades, and celebrity partners, all of which essentially gave SMF a license to continue their harmful practices.”

When planning for this episode, Rachel and I decided to dissect a passage from the chapter from Kristof’s “Half the Sky” titled “Prohibition and Prostitution.” In this passage, Kristof is promoting 4 types of supremacy while at the same time claiming to stand for liberation.  While reading this passage, see if you can spot each type of supremacy. The four types are: 

  1. White supremacy 

  2. Christian supremacy 

  3. Misogyny and gender based oppression or violence. 

  4. Class supremacy or economic oppression 

“We're not arguing that Westerners should take up this cause because it's the fault of the West; Western men do not play a central role in prostitution in most poor countries. True, American and European sex tourists are part of the problem in Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Belize, but they are still only a small percentage of the johns. The vast majority are local men. Moreover, Western men usually go with girls who are more or less voluntary prostitutes, because they want to take the girls back to their hotel rooms, while forced prostitutes are not normally allowed out of the brothels. So this is not a case where we in the West have a responsibility to lead because we’re the source of the problem. Rather, we single out the West because, even though we’re peripheral to the slavery, our action is necessary to overcome a horrific evil.”

- Nicholas D. Kristof, Half the Sky - Chapter Two: Prohibition and Prostitution

The way we use language when talking about trafficking all comes down to feeding the ego of the hero. Terms like victim and survivor are labels that are often placed on individuals within the trafficking space. Being told that you are a survivor or a victim day in and day out forces individuals to relive their trauma to the point that their trauma becomes their identity, an identity that they truly have no control over shaping or changing because they have lost ownership over their own narrative. 

Connect with Our Guest

Rachel Faller is an entrepreneur by trade and a creative at heart. She dedicates most of her time to rectifying harm within the garment industry using a systemic approach- encouraging people to think about the root of systemic injustice and tackling these issues at their core rather than simply treating the symptoms. Rachel is a co-creator of tonlé – a zero waste, ethical and sustainable fashion line that is both a brand and a manufacturer. Rachel is also a co-founder at Reclaim Collaborative. Rachel’s personal and community care practices include crafting, painting, mending, gardening, and foraging.

Connect + Support Her Work: Website, Instagram, Twitter

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Art of Citizenry is a community supported podcast dedicated to decolonizing storytelling. This allows me to have unfiltered and nuanced conversations that challenge how power plays out in conversations about social, economic, climate, and geopolitical justice. We unpack history to really identify ways we can build a more equitable future, one that is restorative and just.

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Links to Articles Cited in this Episode

Thank You

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