Sex Trafficking in Hawaiʻi: The Stories of Survivors
Sex Trafficking in Hawaiʻi: The Stories of Survivors
“I didn’t ever feel like a victim. I never felt victimized until I started listening to other things that people were saying. And then questioning, what is victimization? That is someone like me. Someone took advantage of me. Someone coerced me. That is somebody like me. And it is so obvious I am a victim. It was because when I was 15 and I thought I had it together and I knew what I wanted and I knew what I was doing and I was down for my man.”
“When we called law enforcement to report her missing, they told me “if she wants to be out by herself, then let her.”
“You just don’t get out of this. That doesn’t happen. I would get my ass beat.”
-From the participants in this study.
This report is dedicated to the twenty-two brave people who told their stories of pain and survival.
Read the full report HERE
Sex trafficking has been found in every state in the United States including Hawaiʻi and in most countries around the world. The global and national dimensions of sex trafficking have functioned to obscure the unique and intertwined commodification of bodies and land in Hawaiʻi. …sex trafficking remains a hidden and silent phenomenon or portrayed as an issue affecting only foreign-born women. Sex trafficking, which is the forced prostitution of an adult or the sexual exploitation through prostitution of a child, is present in Hawaiʻi but the scope of the problem is unclear. This study examines in depth the experiences of victims of sex trafficking in Hawaiʻi.
Funding for this study was provided by the Kaimas foundation.
The study was conducted by:
Arizona State University Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention’s Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, MSW, Ph.D. and the Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women’s Khara Jabola-Carolus, J.D.
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Be part of the solution! It’s with the dedication of our supporters that we are able to advance education, awareness, and action to provide restoration for children rescued from sexual exploitation. Whether you want to volunteer your time, voice, or resources, we’ve made it easy find a way to get involved with Hoʻōla Nā Pua.
You can help survivors of sex trafficking. Donations for sex trafficking to Hoʻōla Nā Pua support Health, Education, Advocacy and Reintegration, which includes our Starfish mentorship program and sustains ongoing operating and Pearl Haven site development costs. Our Federal ID number (EIN) is 46-5139164. Your gift may be 100% deductible from your taxable income.
On Saturday, October 29th, volunteers gathered at Pearl Haven’s campus for Make a Difference Day 2017. For 16 years, this annual day of service has brought U.S. communities together with the simple goal of improving the lives of others. 
Anne Forshey’s journey with Ho‘ola Na Pua began with the simple act of opening the Midweek. After reading last year’s feature on Ho‘ola Na Pua, she immediately got on board with the organization, attending a volunteer orientation and supporting the annual Pearl Gala. 
On Saturday, April 1st, volunteers from around the island gathered to give back to the community in celebration of Good Deeds Day. Created in 2007, this annual, global event celebrates the power of volunteering and giving. 
As a graduate student in the field of social work, Marianne Fontillas had researched the topic of sex trafficking in depth. When she joined Ho‘ola Na Pua’s advocacy efforts, she turned knowledge into action, putting her talents towards one of the organization’s biggest events of the year. 
Ho‘ola Na Pua’s mission spans four core pillars of Health, Education, Advocacy, and Reintegration, all of which address a different facet of sex trafficking in Hawaii. As the 2016 Mrs. Hawaii United States, Kelly Kitashima has played a key role in Ho‘ola Na Pua’s goal of advocacy, using her platform to bring awareness to this issue. 
