Family financial roles assumed by sex trafficking survivors upon community re-entry: Findings from a financial diaries study in the Philippines

ABSTRACT

People who have been trafficked often face substantial financial challenges upon exiting human trafficking and re-entering the community. This article presents findings from a 6-month financial diaries study with the households of 30 women in Cebu City, Philippines, who were trafficked into sex work. Data from 352 interviews with sex trafficking survivors and their family members were utilized to explore the roles that trafficking survivors played in promoting the economic well-being of their families upon community re-entry, as well as the challenges they faced in fulfilling these roles. Findings revealed that women who were trafficked balanced multiple roles in their families—including that of income earner, household financial manager, and financial providers for the extended family. Survivors’ limited access to employment was a key barrier that impeded their ability to achieve financial stability for themselves, their children, parents, and other family members. The employment status of trafficking survivors affected numerous crosscutting factors—including the extent to which they were able to control household finances, redistribute income to their parents, and leave violent relationships. Findings reinforce the importance of safe, sustainable employment opportunities for the security and well-being of trafficking survivors and their families.

KEYWORDS:

• Economic empowerment
• human trafficking
• reintegration

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Ivy F. Seballos-Llena and Dayeen Tudtud for their dedication to the financial diaries research and to serving trafficked persons.

Notes

1. Definitions of human trafficking and interpretations of the Palermo Protocol are highly disputed (Cavalieri, 2011). A complete discussion of the controversy surrounding these definitions is beyond the scope of this article.

2. Financial instruments refers to savings, borrowing, lending, insurance, and money guarding.

3. The official poverty line for Cebu province was 1,556 pesos per month (approximately 1.2 US dollars per person per day; National Statistics Office, 2009). The income measures used in this article included nontraditional income sources (such as remittances, transfers, and NGO stipends), which are not commonly included in national surveys measuring household income. As such, this is a conservative estimate of the poverty line status of households.

4. Sari-sari stores are neighborhood variety stores that are primarily family-run and operated out of the owner’s house.

5. The alternative learning system (ALS) is a parallel learning system in the Philippines for those who have dropped out of high school. The ALS system provides access to flexible basic education, allowing ALS learners to earn the equivalent of a high school degree.

6. An SSS salary loan would provide a loan equivalent to one month of her salary. She was able to avail of the SSS salary loan as she is a regularized employee according to Filipino labor law.