This action-research project works directly with (not on) women who have experienced trafficking. The women in this project wanted to participate as active and creative subjects, not as observed and researched objects. This approach aims at giving these women’s experiences with more value, visibility and short-term impact.

 

The overall aim has been to develop a psychosocial intervention constructed with women who have experienced trafficking in four different countries: Philippines, United States, Colombia and Spain.

 

Finally, we also aim to help these women to develop skills that enable them to use the handbook they have developed to help and orientate other women in similar conditions. We aim to make these women a visible part of this project.

 

The project followed these steps:

 

PHASE 1: Review of international, national and local handbooks and protocols of assistance and prevention of trafficking.

 

OUTCOME: Analysis and responses by trafficked women.

 

PHASE 2: To explore participatory action research (PAR) as a methodology to deal with trafficking of women from a feminist perspective.

 

OUTCOME: Development of a guidance document that encourages a feminist participatory action research methodology for addressing contexts of migration and trafficking of women. It will also evaluate the psychological impacts (both positive and negative) experienced by researchers who apply this methodology.

 

PHASE 3: Empowerment and advocacy.

 

OUTCOME: Development of a handbook for social intervention based on ideas, suggestions and proposals by women who have suffered trafficking. The target of the advocacy process would be local, national and international policy-makers. We want to give a place to women to suggest different and innovative forms of social intervention and prevention, meanwhile we –and they- evaluate current international guidelines in the scheme of anti-trafficking policies.

 

PHASE 4: Analysis of the process.

 

OUTCOME: To publish a document that analyzes the entire process, based on references from post-colonialism, feminism and social psychology.  To identify and acknowledge experience and knowledge of women who have suffered trafficking, evidencing that victimism is not an acceptable perspective.