The Oblate Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer work specifically with women. One of their activities is to helping human trafficking victims out of the world of prostitution. They meet with them, give them a home and help them find work so the traffickers no longer have control over their lives.
SR. MARISA COTOLÍ
Oblate Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer
What we do is ask the women when the best time is to approach them, so that we can talk to them, to listen to them, their needs and their demands. So, it's usually at night that we meet them on the streets.
Of course, by offering tools or strategies that help women be themselves, we are breaking that chain of slavery.
Sr. Marisa Cotolí says that the women who escape this trap often go onto help others. They become allies in the fight against trafficking.
SR. MARISA COTOLÍ
Oblate Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer
It creates a very nice network among women. There is a sisterhood among us and effectively the support is mutual accompaniment.
The Oblate Sisters warn that in the wake of the pandemic, traffickers have often sought new places to exploit women. In addition to the clubs, they also use dating apps and pornography sites.
By using these new technologies rather than meeting face-to-face, it is more difficult for the sisters to meet these women and offer them an alternative.
SR. MARISA COTOLÍ
Oblate Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer
We can talk about how photos, videos and webcams are being used and how it is sometimes to exploit women.
For example, during the pandemic, we continued to go to these places. We talked to the women and they explained that they were forced to be on these sites.
Sr. Marisa asks for sensitivity and to educate people so as not to normalize this type of exploitation.
RM
TR: KG
