Engaging Anti-Human Trafficking Stakeholders in the Research Process

Author: Hounmenou, Charles

Abstract: The purpose of the present article is to show the importance of knowledge building about stakeholder engagement in the process of research on human trafficking. Stakeholder engagement in anti-trafficking policy implementation and service responses has been substantially explored in research. Yet, there is almost no knowledge on stakeholder engagement in the process of research on human trafficking. Such knowledge can help researchers in the field of human-trafficking access untapped resources and partners they could capitalize on to improve the outcomes and impact of their research. This article examines the input of stakeholders in the process of an international study on child prostitution in three countries in West Africa. One hundred and thirty-three stakeholders were involved in the research process from the preparatory phase to the translational phase of the research. The article shows that the engagement of stakeholders in the process of the research helped improve the outcomes of the study and increased the likelihood of acceptance and dissemination of the research findings. Lessons for future research on human trafficking are discussed.

Keywords: child prostitution, human trafficking, research process, sex trafficking, stakeholder engagement