8th Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Conference

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The University of Louisville Women’s Center and Women4Women Student Board are raising awareness of human trafficking in Kentucky to educate students and the community about the complex issue of human trafficking and to encourage taking action to prevent it.The 8th Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Conference was held  Feb. 22 in the Miller Information Technology Center’s Bigelow Hall. 

The conference agenda included the following:

  • An overview of what human trafficking is by Amy Leenerts of Free2Hope.
  • A look at labor trafficking in Louisville by Marissa Castellanos, social worker and program director of Bakhita Empowerment Initiative, a program to combat human trafficking with Catholic Charities of Louisville.
  • A presentation of research on underage homeless children in Louisville who are trafficked will be presented by Jennifer Middleton, director of the UofL Human Trafficking Research Initiative, co-chair of the Louisville Metro Human Trafficking Task Force and assistant professor in the Kent School of Social Work.
  • A talk about surviving human trafficking by Summer Dickerson, Founder of Women of the Well Ministry.
  • A resource fair that will feature representatives from various community and campus organizations that provide resources for victims of human trafficking.