Advocate With Us
Freedom NZ is made up of volunteers who are committed to day-to-day acts of advocacy. Everyone has different skills, different availability, and different circumstances – but everyone can make a difference.
Explore the ways to get involved with what we’re doing, and see if any are right for you.
Advocacy Teams
We have three teams that work to bring change in distinct areas.
We want to support survivors: establish exit services and provide accessible advice and care. We campaign for change: petitioning local and national leaders, conducting/commissioning research, and putting pressure on the policies that are failing us. Finally, we raise awareness: we know that this problem won’t go away without widespread cultural change, and we’re committed to bringing that change through awareness campaigns and training events.
The teams don’t meet at assigned times, but communicate about projects and meet when needed. Explore the teams below, and contact us to get involved.
The Support Team are all about supporting those who have been or are at risk of being exploited. This includes mental health support, job and housing advice, drop-in centres, and supporting a safe house for women leaving the sex trade.
The Campaign Team communicates through petitions, submissions, research, and conversations with authorities. The goal is to ensure that those who are exploited are legally and systematically supported.
The Campaign Team communicates through petitions, submissions, research, and conversations with authorities. The goal is to ensure that those who are exploited are legally and systematically supported.
Join Our Working Group
The sexual exploitation, abuse, and harm (SEAH) Working Group meets on the second Tuesday of the month in Tauranga to discuss topics within the sphere of sexual exploitation and trafficking. This includes screenings of relevant media, presentations by professionals and conversations with activists and survivors. This group is convened by Freedom NZ and open to any organisation or individuals interested in these topics. If you’d like to come along, let us know and we’ll get back to you with the date and place of the next meeting. If you aren’t based in Tauranga, you can attend virtually.
Attend Training Events and Fundraisers
If you don’t have the time, or just aren’t ready, to make a regular commitment there are still ways you can be involved. We regularly run bystander training for those who encounter someone they suspect is being trafficked or abused. These are only a few hours long, and give you some basic tools and information about what to look out for and what to do if you see it. If you’re interested in coming to one of these events, contact us and we’ll get back to you with the next training date.
We also run fundraisers to raise awareness of the issues and collect funds for specific causes (for example, setting up a drop-in centre for survivors). These can be quizzes, auctions, walk. If you’re interested in attending, please check our social media for details about any upcoming events or contact us here.
If you’re interested in learning more about the topic and getting involved but don’t know where to start or what you could do, please get in touch. We’d be happy to meet with you to chat about the topic, direct you to some sources to learn more, and figure out next steps.
Follow Anti-Exploitation Organisations Online
Following us and other organisations online is a great way to learn more about this topic. Sharing posts is a key way to raise awareness and shift the narrative about exploitation in Aotearoa. De-normalising prostitution, pornography and rape culture is a vital step towards bringing freedom from sexual exploitation.
Here are a few great organisations to follow:
NZ based
Internationally based
Watch and Read Survivor Stories
A really effective way to learn more about sexual exploitation is through listening to the stories of survivors. Here are links to a few places where you can read and watch survivors of sexual exploitation tell their stories.
Wahine Toa Rising is a voice for survivors of the sex trade in Oceania. They speak out about the experiences women have under decriminalised prostitution and share short, written accounts from survivors.
Gloria Masters is an advocate for survivors of child sexual exploitation in New Zealand. She has written several books telling her story, and encouraging others on their journey of recovery and healing from abuse and exploitation.
Fight the New Drug speak out about the harms of porn. They have over 60 short videos that tell the stories of people whose lives have been affected by porn, including former porn performers and people trafficked for the creation of pornography. They are US-based.
Exodus Cry have created several high quality documentaries that expertly tell the stories of survivors of the sex trade. They have created shorts, feature-length documentaries, and mini-series’. They are US-based, but several of their documentaries explore international exploitation.