WAR AGAINST TRAFFICKING ALLIANCE (WATA)

What is WATA?

In 2001, Shared Hope International established the War Against Trafficking Alliance (WATA) to coordinate efforts to combat sex trafficking in targeted regions throughout the world.

WATA’s approach is to create local and national alliances by bringing together groups in specific geographic areas, held together by a common commitment to seek strategies for intervention and restoration for victims of sex trafficking.

What has WATA accomplished?

In January 2003, WATA held a World Summit, where representatives from over 114 nations gathered in Washington DC to focus on comprehensive efforts to eradicate sex trafficking. The World Summit was followed by six “Next Steps” conferences held around the world. These conferences set the stage for in-country and international child advocacy and sex trafficking experts to train government leaders in establishing and enforcing sex trafficking laws, and provided for the development of local strategies to wage war against trafficking.  

The goals of WATA events and next step strategies were specific to each country, considering local progress made in the fight against sexual slavery and trafficking. International events have taken place in the United States, Dominican Republic, India, Indonesia, Moldova, Singapore and South Africa.

(For more information on past WATA events, view the WATA Archives)


What is WATA-USA?

In 2006, Shared Hope International began adapting this approach to the United States by spearheading the Mid-Term Review on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in America, bringing together leaders from across the U.S. to document progress made in combating sexual slavery of children in America. In 2007 and 2008, with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), SHI conducted field assessments in 10 U.S. locations to identify and facilitate services to American child sex trafficking victims.  This intensive field research aligned Shared Hope International to DOJ-funded Human Trafficking Task Forces across the nation, working in each community to identify and respond to child victims of sex trafficking.

In 2009, SHI leveraged this experience to organize the War Against Trafficking Alliance-United States. Through alliances and the combined resources and efforts of organizations joined together to eradicate the sex trafficking of women and children, WATA-USA focuses on responding to two urgent needs within the United States:

• establish and expand safe restorative shelters for victims of sex trafficking; and  

• reduce the demand which drives sex trafficking.

Organizations who have been involved in WATA efforts