CCARHT 8th Annual Symposium
Lands, Widows and Wombs : a Gendered Assets Approach to
'Enabling Environments' of Human Trafficking and Exploitation.
Partners
This year’s symposium themes of “Land, Widows and Wombs: A Gendered Assets Approach to ‘Enabling Environments’ of Human Trafficking and Exploitation” opens up a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with the Margaret Anstee Centre for Global Studies, which is hosted by Newnham College and honours the groundbreaking work of Dame Margaret Joan Anstee.
For CCARHT’s 8th Annual Symposium, the Voice Over project is crucial as it aligns with the event’s focus on gendered assets and ‘enabling environments’ of exploitation, offering survivor-centred solutions to tackle trafficking at its roots. We are thrilled to collaborate with Voice Over for this year’s annual symposium.
This year’s symposium themes of “Land, Widows and Wombs: A Gendered Assets Approach to ‘Enabling Environments’ of Human Trafficking and Exploitation” will also feature Mist Podcast whose purpose is to combat human trafficking for sexual exploitation and to provide assistance to victims, as part of a participatory community health initiative, also to detect, identify, shelter and assist victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation and pimping, both adults and minors, regardless of gender etc. They will be featured on the Thursday 12th afternoon.
We shall be looking at amongst other arenas caught in our three intersecting focal lens of Land, Widows and Wombs the following areas:
- The Impact of Conflict on Human Trafficking, we are honoured to host powerful advocates for Ukrainian women in the face of the present ongoing conflict: “Yulia Dorokhoba, chair of League Legal Life, and survivor of the Russian invasion of Ukraine addressing sex trafficking emerging from Ukraine as women are forced into flight. Tatiana Kotlyarenko, former chief adviser for the OSCE on Human Trafficking, speaking on the importance of survivor voices in advocacy and policymaking. She will also discuss concerns about Ukrainian women in Albania and other Central European locations, particularly regarding potential changes in surrogacy laws and their impact on protection.”
- Land as a Depleting Asset for Women Globally: Hear impactful stories and insights from Nigeria, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, and Australia. Ecology, Sustainability, the deployment of resources below and above ground and who actually benefits, Cocoa farming, International Charcoal trade, deforestation, the impact of war, military seizure of land, banking and women’s access to and ability to retain use of land under neo-colonial/defi pressures.
- Widowhood and Vulnerability to Trafficking: We will explore the Loomba Foundation report – an 11-country study prepared for the House of Lords by Dr Saradamoya Chaterjee, (presented on the 5th September 2024 – follow our blog for more information) in the company of several international widowhood advocacy groups convened by Margaret Owen O.B.E., who will highlight how tenuous the socio-economic status of widows is and the profound violation of their rights, all of which can drive through trafficking impacts intergenerationally, as well as personal risk to their safety and futures.
- Impact of Violence on Women: Come around the virtual table with women from Ukraine, Nigeria, Jordan, and Morocco as they reflect on the impact of civil war, national hostilities, proxy wars, militia, religious, and resource-inspired conflicts, and discuss paths forward. A wonderful opportunity to meet with the first ICC case prosecuted successfully in Uganda with advocate Harriet Ssali Abrahams (LLB Judicial Advisor for the UN)
- Exploitation of Women’s Reproductive Capacity: Explore the reality and extent of global trafficking of women’s wombs, including surrogacy, sexual exploitation, and forced marriages, with field experts in Jordan, Syria, Albania, UK, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda. Dr Sarah Steele brings her latest research on the trafficking of Breast Milk alongside Ukrainian panellists concerned with potential changes of the law in Albania with critical impact on the futures for Ukrainian refugees, with Tatiana Kotlyarenko and the League Legalife chair: Yula Dorokhova including updates on ongoing trafficking risks for Ukrainian refugees across Europe.
- Survivor Leadership: How is this to traverse the self-referential frame of the counter trafficking movement and unleash the power of lived experience, the extraordinary harnessing of survivor’s resilience and insights, and unlock the paused aspirations of people before having had their life journey’s diverted and de-graded through trafficking’s assault on their lives. We welcome panellists from VOICE OVER an EU funded programme who will be reporting on their journey with 5 EU country participation (reps from Italy, Spain, Belgium, France) launching their UNMUTE promotional video at the symposium. Also present the adviser for the OSCE survivor leadership programme and author of the guidelines for survivor leadership integration for organisations – Tatiana Kotlyarenko, Eyes Open International and a number of other survivor leadership programmes based in the US and in Asia.
- The Giovanni Falconi Lecture: delivered by Dr Albert Moukheiber Multi Published author, and a prominent professorial Psychologist informed by some of the latest discoveries in neuroscience based at PARIS 8 one of the first multidisciplinary Universities of the Humanities in France, and a valued colleague in the new Social Justice and Equalities Innovation accelerator Egregor.net, Dr Moukheiber will be elaborating the systems and socio-anthropologically informed psychologies which provide ‘enabling environments’ for the proliferation of trafficking in Human Beings, and what organisations seeking to counter its flourishing, urgently need to pay attention to.
We are offering both in-person attendance at the historic Newnham College and up to 500 online places, making this a unique opportunity to engage with leading experts in the field.
Timetable
We shall explore the multiple challenges of what is happening to land as one of the most precious assets a community, state, inter-regional community, household, or person has access to. Global disparities in land ownership and access are deeply tied to rising inequality, hunger, and poverty. The concentration of land in the hands of a few wealthy individuals and corporations leaves small-scale farmers and marginalized communities, especially women, in precarious positions. Currently, the richest 10% control over 60% of land by value, while the poorest 50% hold barely 3%. This extreme imbalance threatens the livelihoods of around 2.5 billion small-scale farmers, many of whom are women. Despite women’s crucial role in food production and rural economies, they often face barriers to land ownership and secure usufruct rights. Traditional practices, legal systems, and socio-economic barriers exclude women from owning and controlling land, exacerbating gender inequality.
THE GIOVANNI FALCONE LECTURE
The Historical roots of criminalisation and the degradation of the democratic vision Refreshing our lens. This year’s keynote will be delivered by Dr. Albert Moukheiber, co-founder of Chiasma and a prominent lecturer at Paris 8 University, a leading institution known for its pioneering interdisciplinary approach in the humanities. Dr. Moukheiber will address the central theme of our sessions over the next two days: “Creating Environments for Exploitation to Thrive: Effective Mitigation Strategies and Building Sustainable Societal and Intrapersonal Resilience. Learn more about Dr. Albert Moukheiber and the impactful work of Paris 8 University here;
https://www.welcometothejungle.com/en/authors/albert-moukheiber-1
MORNING SESSION – CHAPTER 1 – LANDS
We will examine land-related challenges through an anti-trafficking lens with insights from finance, tech, and mining experts. Topics include land rights, inheritance laws, conflicts, and the effects of organized crime. Speakers will help counter-trafficking professionals understand the environments enabling exploitation. Dr. Ralph Adewoye FRIN will discuss deforestation’s impact in Nigeria and West Africa. Jaclyn Northern will highlight women in Northern Nigeria fighting to sustain their livelihoods on marginal lands.
SPEAKERS/PANELISTS
Panel 1 (The Law): RT Hon. Dr Jocelynne Scutt, Prof Yinka Omorogbe, Dr Esohe Aghatise, Jacquelyne Yawa, Dr Ralph Adewoye FRIN, Oloni HM Thompson, Maria Dmyrieva, Yula Dorohova, Tatiana Kotlyarenko, Guillaume Soto Mayor.
AFTERNOON SESSION- CHAPTER 2 – WIDOWS
We will hear accounts from those who have migrated from Edo State, Nigeria, seeking a better life and how the environment drives Benin women northward for financial stability, often leading to trafficking and exploitation. We welcome advocates highlighting the neglected plight of widows to global human rights and counter-trafficking organizations. This afternoon session, organized with international partners, will address the discrimination and exploitation faced by widows, with insights from the International Criminal Court on crimes against women during land conflicts. The sessions will shed light on widowhood’s overlooked challenges, child marriage, and the economic vulnerabilities tied to trafficking and exclusion.
SPEAKERS
Widows: Lord Loomba, Saradamoyee Chatterjee, Margaret Owen OBE, Meera Khanna, Kandiah Pathmaseni, Monica Mhoja, Lily Thapa, Shamim Shawl, Prof Yinka Omorgogbe, Dr Esohe Aghatise, Wandoo GRACE AIBANGBEE.
MORNING SESSION – CHAPTER 3 – WOMBS
In the morning, we shall be hearing how access to women’s bodies, and particularly their reproductive capacities drive another neglected strand of trafficking exploitation and egregious ‘trafficking’ stranded abuse, with direct impact on UK and U.S. experiences of generative trafficking responding to the ‘demand’ of a Northern market, which corallers economically stressed or politically disempowered women in the exploitation of their reproductive ‘bodily assets’.
SPEAKERS
Wombs: Mary Honeyball MEP, Dr Sara Steele, Dr Esohe Aghatise, Lindita Pano, Majlind Gjoni, Tatiana Kotlyarenko, Yulia Dorohova, Maria Dmyrieva (TBC), Dr Shatha Besarani, Huda Hassar, Shorouq Shatnawi, Anna Kamunya, Siren, Dr Susmita Guha, Prof. Maria Kapardis, Harriet Ssali.
PANELISTS
Panel 2 (Challenges in the Gulf): Anna Kamunya, Siren, Dr Susmita Guha, Prof. Maria Kapardis, Harriet Ssali.
AFTERNOON SESSION – CHAPTER 4 – THE VOICE OVER PROJECT
The VoiceOver Project is dedicated to training staff in survivor-informed engagement and empowering survivors to influence program and policy development. It provides trauma-informed and gender-sensitive support while fostering social integration through peer programs. Additionally, the project raises awareness through a replicable model, podcasts, and events. Aligned with CCARHT’s 8th Symposium on exploitation and gendered assets, the initiative delivers survivor-centered solutions, with Revd Dr. Carrie Pemberton Ford serving on the Advisory Board.
SPEAKERS
VOICE: Barbara Macaulan, MIST, Dr Carlotta Giordani, Inge Saris, Dr Carrie Pemberton Ford, Tatiana Kotlyarenko, Juliet Singer, Bright Futures TBC
PANELISTS
Panel 3 (Child Trafficking): Barbara Macaulan, MIST, Dr Carlotta Giordani
Programme of Event
Speakers
Get your tickets now
- Tickets available on Eventbrite for full-day and half-day attendance, both online and in-person
- Special student discounts available with university emails and NGO discounts
- Promo Code for students and NGOs available in Eventbrite, any difficulties connect with CIARAN@ccarht.org
- Online attendees will have access to recordings for 10 days post-event
Travel
Cambridge is only one hour from Kings Cross /st Pancras / Liverpool St /London Bridge trains every half hour!) to enjoy the most wonderful environment of Newnham College for our discussions and meet with some of the panellists who are coming to present in person.
Accomodation at Newnham for under £100 a night is available but hurry these rooms will soon be unavailable.
For booking please cite CCARHT symposium 2024.