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The American Association of University Women (AAUW), Ely Branch, in collaboration with Ely EMPOWER has embarked on a project to raise awareness of the human trafficking issue and its impact on our families and friends.
The state of Minnesota requires all lodging employees to receive training to identify and report potential human trafficking victims. This project is designed to make our community more aware of the issue, increase protection and safety in our community, and provide additional resources to area businesses.
Providing this resource is critical to ensure any victim who lives or visits here is aware of the help.
Mary Setterholm, AAUW public policy chairperson, said “One of the first projects will be to distribute posters to key businesses with public restrooms that trafficked individuals may utilize. These posters briefly define trafficking and offer access to help for those who seek it.”
Any business that is not contacted about the poster but that feels it has a location to display one, should contact the Ely Chamber of Commerce. AAUW will work with the Chamber to assure additional posters are available.
Following and expanding these efforts, AAUW is partnering with NLAA and the Ely Folk School to sponsor a poetry reading by Elizabeth Gade at the Folk School on June 12, at 5:30 p.m., where she will introduce her new book, “Shame Wrangler.” Elizabeth Gade is a Minnesota based bisexual poet and human trafficking survivor. Writing is her radical way to connect with fellow survivors. This is Gade’s second book of poetry focused on issues faced by victims of human trafficking.
Human trafficking is defined as the sale of a person for the purpose of sexual acts or forced labor. It trails only drug trafficking in the size and scope of this criminal enterprise. There are over 20.9 million victims globally and the average age a victim is first sold is 12 years of age. A 2015 FBI study found that of all the states, Minnesota had the third highest number of human trafficking cases. Setterholm said, “We see these same posters across the country. In an area such as ours with a large tourist population and a lot of remote land, providing this resource is critical.”
The AAUW Ely branch Public Policy Committee supports a strategy of advancing gender equity for all women and girls in the areas of research, education and advocacy. The committee strives to engage public participation in the effort to ensure individual rights and serve the needs of the community.
