Two of seven girls who were intercepted by the Bureau of Immigration prior to a flight to Saudi Arabia where they would have been forced to work as household domestic servants, wait for psychological intervention at a temporary shelter. Each of the girls was recruited by the Mayon Recruitment Agency and were found to be minors.

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Philippines: Girls as a Commodity

Matilde Simas | Manila, Philippines, Philippines

Organization: Capture Humanity

“Philippines: Girls as a Commodity” sheds light on the plight of children who are sold into domestic servitude and the cybersex trade in the Philippines. Through real-time photo capture the series is an intimate look at the healing and recovery processes of rescued Filipino girls living in  non-governmental organization (NGO) shelters. At the shelters, survivors are provided with legal, psychological, and protective support. They receive counseling, medical assistance, skills training, education, and an opportunity to practice sports. 

The Philippines has been identified as a global epicenter of live-stream sexual abuse trade, with around 80% of Filipino children at risk of online sexual abuse (UNICEF, 2016). The Department of Justice reported a 264% increase in the number of incidents of online sexual abuse of children during March to May 2020, the first three months of the government-imposed quarantine to contain COVID-19.

While not always visible, the girls' images reveal there is necessary work entailed in their recovery process. As a result of this project I learned victims of trafficking are left to endure irreversible psychological damage as a result of their trauma.

As a result of this project I learned victims of trafficking are left to endure irreversible psychological damage as a result of their trauma. The non-governmental organization (NGO) works to provide specialized, trauma - informed care for trafficked children. While in the care of this NGO, survivors can practice a holistic victim care approach that ensures victim-witness protection and successful social reintegration. At the NGO's long-term living facility, survivors are given time and space to heal, and peer counseling is presented as a choice but not required. Once ready, they are empowered with equal authority status to help run daily operations and share responsibilities.

Despite the immense trauma that these survivors endured and their fear of repercussions, many were eager to take part in this project. The survivors explained that they don’t want to be forgotten — they want everyone to know what happened to them. Being able to tell their own stories and take control of the narrative was incredibly powerful and ideally helped them to come to terms with their experiences.

The sequence of images begin with heartache but as the viewer advances through the images they begin to disclose progression and positive evolution. While not always visible, the girls' images reveal there is necessary work entailed in their recovery process. The last image tells the story of a survivor taking her power back reclaiming her power and evolving into a Subject Matter Expert, by informing and educating the public about human trafficking, and taking back the life others sought and failed to rob her of.

Matilde Simas

MatildeSimas.com

Mattie@capturehumanity.com

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