By Jane Jagas, graduate student of Catholic University’s M.A. in Human Rights.            

          On Wednesday of this past week (October 13th, 2021) the MA in Human Rights cohort visited the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) here in DC. We were fortunate enough to meet with three members of the organization: XiNomara Yehuda who works in the operations department, Pansy Watson who works in the law centre as a legal counsel, and Eleanor Gaetan who works as the director of public policy. These three women gave us an intimate look inside one of the many forms of modern slavery: human trafficking.

            Ms. Watson began our meeting with a discussion of existing legislature which provides big tech companies like Twitter and Facebook with immunity in the event that third parties publish illegal content on their platforms. She also outlined various court cases that NCOSE has been a part of to advocate for victims of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. This provided us with a strong sense of the difficulties that the organization faces on and offline.

            Dr. Gaetan spoke of the different forms of exploitation and trafficking and the treatment of these crimes both in and outside of the United States. As well, she and Ms. Yehuda outlined how NCOSE operates nationally to provide each state with the opportunity to combat sexual exploitation.

            These three women supplied us with a thorough examination of NCOSE as an organization and an advocacy group. This companys holistic approach to sexual exploitation shifts the blame and penalty from the victims to the purchasers and consumers of sexual content and activities. NCOSE admirably promotes victim advocacy instead of prosecution in an effort to present these victims with an opportunity for healing and to diminish the demand for sexual exploitation. Each of these women exemplifies a fierce dedication to the promotion of human rights reflective in the mission of their organization.