A Survivor-defined Framework for Economic Empowerment: Findings from A Photovoice Study with Survivors of Human Trafficking and Gender-based Violence

Author: Cordisco Tsai, Laura

Abstract: Human trafficking survivors commonly identify financial security as a key priority. While various economic empowerment programs for survivors exist, insufficient research has explored what economic empowerment means to survivors themselves, resulting in programs and policies that may not center survivors’ goals and needs. This manuscript presents a framework for economic empowerment that was defined by survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence (GBV). The framework emerged from a community-based participatory research study in the Philippines utilizing photovoice, a participatory research method grounded in empowerment theory, feminist theory, and documentary photography. Survivors of human trafficking and GBV collected study data, analyzed data with support and training from the research team, and presented findings to key community stakeholders. The resulting framework for economic empowerment contains seven key dimensions: basic needs for self and family, safe employment with benefits, holistic education, financial management, goal achievement, psychosocial wellbeing, and support systems. Each dimension is discussed, along with implications for policy and practice. Recommendations from this study are relevant to achieving numerous United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the empowerment of all women and girls. This study provides an actionable, survivor-defined guiding framework for service organizations to follow in working toward economic empowerment.

Keywords: photovoice, human trafficking, economic empowerment, gender-based violence, community-based participatory research, participatory action research