Walk for Women in the Shadows

In 2017-2018 I walked 83 miles along the Wealdway with my then 3-year-old son to raise awareness of modern slavery and funds for an anti-slavery charity.

To mark Anti-Slavery Day this year, my son and I will try to walk 90 miles along the High Weald Landscape Trail with his 3-year-old sister. We will be setting off on 16 October and we hope to finish before Anti-Slavery Day on 18 October 2022.

This time we are shining a light on #womenintheshadows. Of the estimated 40.3 million people trapped in modern slavery globally, 71% of them are women and girls. These women and girls could be trapped in, amongst other things: forced prostitution; domestic servitude; forced marriage; forced labour, such as in nail bars or on farms; forced begging; or criminal exploitation, such as in County Lines, where children and young people are manipulated and coerced into carrying and distributing drugs from cities into county towns.

We are raising funds for two projects that help women coming out of modern slavery, the Amies Freedom Choir and the Medaille Trust Moving on Project in Kent. Please see below for more information on these two amazing charities.

Please give what you can to support these projects and follow us on our Instragram page @rochesteragainstmodernslavery and our blog thekentishabolitionist for updates on our walk and for other information about this abhorrent crime, which is all around us but hidden in plain sight.

AMIES FREEDOM CHOIR

The choir aims to develop the musical and cultural awareness of young women who have survived trafficking by exploring songs and musical styles from each other's cultures and languages.

Pan artists and professional musicians from different regional traditions support the choir in building a repertoire of songs, vocal and choral skills and developing musical and cultural understanding.

As their musicality grows, the choir is increasingly invited to perform at events. While this seems impossible to some of the women when they first meet, their confidence grows quickly and they have performed at the Old Bailey, City Hall, the Horniman Museum, Kings Place, BNP-Paribas headquarters, Southwark Cathedral and for the Desmond Tutu Foundation and many more.

For more information, please take a look at their website.

MEDAILLE TRUST MOVING ON PROJECT IN KENT

The Moving On Project reaches out to women affected by modern slavery in the community, providing tailored one-to-one support to those who might not otherwise have access to such services. They aim to help women reduce their vulnerability to abuse, violence and exploitation, and move on positively with their lives.

They also help women survivors pursue judicial outcomes against their perpetrators, supporting them throughout the legal process.

The Moving on Project is delivered by the Medaille Trust in partnership with the Snowdrop Project and in Kent they work closely with Porchlight. They currently have drop-in centres in Margate and Gravesend and are looking to open a drop-in centre in Folkestone.

For more information, please see their website.