Funds raised will support Australian charity, PROJECT FUTURES; an organisation giving hope by transforming the lives of women and children in Cambodia and Australia affected by sexual slavery, trafficking and exploitation.
Funds raised support established projects that work to prevent, support and empower victims, survivors and those at-risk.
In partnership with AFESIP Cambodia since 2009, we support the service to care for and secure the rights of women and girls who have been victims or at-risk of human trafficking and sexual slavery by providing safe and secure housing, confidential psychological support, routine and emergency medical treatments, as well as professional legal assistance and opportunities for education and training.
One overriding factor in the proliferation of trafficking is the fundamental belief that the lives of women and girls are expendable. In societies where women and girls are undervalued or not valued at all, women are at greater risk for being abused, trafficked, and coerced into sex slavery.
Weak law enforcement, corruption, grinding poverty and the fractured social institutions left by the country’s turbulent recent history has helped earn Cambodia an unwelcome reputation for child trafficking and sexual abuse.
Join us for a very special high tea fundraising event on Sunday 4th March in recognition of the thousands of women and girls affected by sexual slavery and violence in Cambodia.
Thanks to PROJECT FUTURES, renowned Cambodian survivor of sex slavery and human rights activist Somaly Mam, along with fellow survivor Sina Vann, will share their personal perspectives on the issue, thoughts around how to eradicate modern slavery and why empowering survivors will help to lead this change.
Audiences will leave with a renewed sense of purpose and an appreciation of the resilience needed to overcome adversity in its many forms.
Date: Sunday 4 March 2018
Location: Hilton Ballroom, 6 Orchid Ave Surfers Paradise
Time: 1pm - 4pm
Ticket: $70 per person or $560 for a table of 8
Attire: Sunday Best
Keynote: Somaly Mam
Q&A: Somaly Mam & Sina Vann
SOMALY MAM
International human rights activist, founder, best-selling author and fearless survivor of sex slavery
Born into a tribal minority family and sold at the age of 12, Somaly is a survivor of sexual slavery and a human rights activist.
Forced to work in a brothel along with other children for nearly a decade, she was brutally tortured and raped on a daily basis.
After escaping the industry with the help of a foreigner, she went onto establish AFESIP Cambodia (Acting for Women in Distressing Situations) to rehabilitate and reintegrate children and young girls who have been rescued from the sex trade.
She has dedicated her life's work to supporting victims by providing a safe space to start the heading process and empowering survivors to become agents of change.
SINA VANN
Survivor of sex slavery and outreach worker at AFESIP Cambodia
Born in Vietnam, Sina was abducted from schools and sold to a brother in Cambodia where she was forced to service up to 20-30 clients a day. If she refused to work, she would be tortured with chilli and locked in a dark, underground room without food.
It was only after the brothel was raided by police after a number of years that freedom seemed assured, but at the expense of being able to return home to her family.
From victim to survivor to empowered young woman, Sina was supported by AFESIP to recover, seek out an education and eventually return to the centre to support other women in similar situations.
Sina now leads the social outreach program at AFESIP, supporting women in some of the most impoverished communities by raising awareness of the service, promoting access to primary healthcare and safe sex practices.
In addition to Somaly and Sina, there will be a panel of local businesses (OUTLAND Denim and The Freedom Hub) talking about how for-profit businesses are using their product to achieve their mission to have a positive impact on the world.
JAMES BARTLE, Founder & CEO of Outland Denim
James Bartle is the founding CEO of Outland Denim; the denim brand making jeans differently.
Driven by the desire to curb the trafficking of young girls into an illicit commercial sex industry, Bartle created Outland Denim to generate training and employment opportunities for women vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
Over six years Bartle developed a unique production method that would enable each of his seamstresses to gain a covetable skill set in tailoring while crafting artisan quality jeans to the highest standard to compete in the global premium marketplace.
In 2016, he took Outland to scale, securing international investment and distribution to further the company's mission to employ more young women while concurrently investing heavily in supply chain and environmental stewardship.
With a background in manufacturing and start-up ventures, Bartle has taken a hands-on approach to developing Outland's signature jean styles, eschewing automation in favour of craftsmanship.
PHILIP MURDOCH, Project Oversight for Freedom Hub
Born and raised in Sydney, Philip moved to the Gold Coast 18 months ago to help establish a second Freedom Hub venue on the Gold Coast.
The Freedom Hub (Sydney) was founded by Sally Irwin in 2016 as a social enterprise cafe and event space where local customers could enjoy healthy, fresh food knowing their money was making a difference.
100% of profits are donated to The Freedom Hub Survivor School; a place where survivors of slavery in Australia are trained, encouraged and prepared for the workforce through one-to-one mentoring, supported learning and practical application with partnered businesses.
Philip has been teaching Industrial Design for the last 15 years at schools in NSW and now QLD, but has always had a heart for the widows and orphans and those who cannot protect themselves. He is now at the forefront of the movement to address trafficking and slavery at a local level through the opening and application of this second venue.