Episode 11: So You Want to be an Activist?

"Sex" and the City: Discussing the Culture of Buying Sex (LIVE)

The first live taping of an Exit Wound episode! Melanie Thompson interviews Co-founder and Chief Development Officer of A Call to Men Ted Bunch, civil rights lawyer and anti-trafficking advocate Ben Gauen, and PACT Survivor's Council and Board member Katrina Massey about the patriarchal environment in which young men and women are raised, and how this leads to violence and discrimination against women and girls. In the words of Ted Bunch, it was an opportunity to invite men - not indict men - and ask them to stand alongside women in the fight for a more just society where everyone can live free from sexual exploitation and violence.

Episode 13: What Men Think

So much of the conversation around trafficking and sexual exploitation involves women - women make up the majority of the victims and they also make up the majority of advocates and gender-based violence experts. Men, though they play a central role in these systems of exploitation, often don't seem interested in changing this toxic status quo. In this special edition of Exit Wound, Melanie invites three male allies - Cristian Eduardo, Alex Delgado, and Ali Bien-Aimé - to join her in exploring why men often take a backseat in these discussions and what we can all do to change this dynamic.

Episode 12: What You Wish You Knew

It’s the last episode of Exit Wound! And what better way to close out the season than to reflect on our then and our now? Melanie and survivor leaders Gabrielle Prieto, Shamere McKenzie, and Sunny Palmer sit down to reflect on their younger selves in “the life” - what they wish they had known about themselves and about the world. This emotional episode also celebrates how far each woman has come in her own journey as survivors and as leaders. This is the end of Exit Wound, but not the end of the story. Follow our work at the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women: https://catwinternational.org/ [https://catwinternational.org/] X (Twitter): @CATWIntl Instagram: catwintl [https://www.instagram.com/catwintl/#] Facebook: Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW)

Episode 11: So You Want to be an Activist?

Community outreach, grassroots organizing, starting your own nonprofit, legislative advocacy - these are all sectors where many survivors thrive after their traumatic experiences. But activism involves more than just being able to relate to a problem- it takes practice, research, dedication, and thick skin. In the penultimate episode of Exit Wound, Melanie and legendary feminist activist Ninotchka Rosca discuss the risks and rewards of being an activist, at any age or stage of life.

Episode 10: Programs and Resources: What's Out There (And What's Not)

One of the things all sex trade survivors have in common is the need for exit services and aftercare. It’s also one of the things lacking in the great big city of New York. All survivors all need the same foundational trio - housing, money, and medical care. Melanie, survivor leader Nicole Potes Alvarado, and advocate Jayne Bigelsen dive deep into the various programs and organizations in the Big Apple and discuss what’s available - and what’s not - for sex trade survivors. The resources mentioned in the episode: The EMPOWER Center - https://bit.ly/3WRjPO6 [https://bit.ly/3WRjPO6] GEMS - https://www.gems-girls.org/ [https://www.gems-girls.org/] Department of Youth and Community Development - https://bit.ly/3wAmqBt [https://bit.ly/3wAmqBt] The Door - https://www.door.org/ [https://www.door.org/] Covenant House - https://www.covenanthouse.org/ [https://www.covenanthouse.org/] Safe Horizons https://www.safehorizon.org/streetwork/ [https://www.safehorizon.org/streetwork/] Restore - https://restorenyc.org/ [https://restorenyc.org/] Mentari - https://www.mentariusa.org/ [https://www.mentariusa.org/] Sanctuary for Families - https://sanctuaryforfamilies.org/ [https://sanctuaryforfamilies.org/] Family Justice Centers - https://bit.ly/3QTQC13 [https://bit.ly/3QTQC13]