Thank You
2025 Global Impact Report
Your Partnership Makes Protection Possible
Your commitment to stand with IJM helped make 2025 a year defined by real, lasting impact.
Because of your consistent support, millions of people are now closer to freedom and safety from slavery, trafficking and violence. Your trust and long-term partnership made it possible for IJM to launch a new program in Poland in 2025 and to build on recent launches in Bulgaria and Bangladesh—extending protection to communities where lasting change requires deep, sustained commitment.
The Global Survivor Network (GSN) continues to grow, empowering more survivors than ever to create lasting change in their communities.
You also fueled innovation in Guatemala and Indonesia, accelerating solutions that will increase access to justice for people who have long been too afraid to report violence.
These milestones are more than progress—they represent families finding hope, children stepping into safety and communities taking ownership of protection. Together, we are building a world where slavery and violence cannot thrive. As we seek to free millions and protect 500 million people over the next decade, we do so with confidence—because partners like you are willing to walk the long road of protection alongside us.
75 MILLION
vulnerable children, women and men have moved closer to protection in 2025
10
IJM projects completed key milestones to advance to the next protection stage in 2025
2 innovation projects have started in Guatemala & Indonesia to accelerate learnings and protection
1,000+ perpetrators convicted in court, stopping the cycle of abuse and deterring future criminals 1 victim set free every hour of every day in 2025
3 new countries are working with IJM to strengthen their justice system: Bangladesh, Bulgaria and Poland
20 baseline studies underway, representing the greatest measurement on sex trafficking, slavery and violence in history
5,000+
GSN members with 750+ new members added in 2025 alone
21,400+ local leaders trained to respond to violence in their communities
BOLIVIA
CÔTE D'IVOIRE
MALAYSIA
PHILIPPINES
THAILAND
INDONESIA
CAMBODIA
Progress Toward Protection
All justice systems have the core foundation required to protect people from violence. Your investment is enabling IJM to unleash the untapped potential of justice systems, transforming them from weak to effective.
We are paving the road to protection through IJM’s proven model to strengthen justice systems. Across all our completed projects, this approach has significantly reduced violence every time—successfully bringing freedom to nearly 500,000 people and protection to more than 10 million.
As we scale our model, momentum is building toward our goal of protecting half a billion people over the next decade.
In 2025, 75 million people moved one step closer to freedom and safety as 10 IJM projects reached key milestones to advance to the next phase of IJM's Protection Model.
For those still trapped in slavery or vulnerable to abuse, this progress represents real hope.
As projects advance, entire communities move away from the threat of violence toward the reality of measurable, sustained protection. Justice systems grow stronger and real lives—of children, families and communities—become safer as a result.
IJM's Progress Tracker is an interactive tool that shows how communities move from vulnerability to lasting protection as IJM teams and local partners work alongside justice systems to make safety and accountability a sustainable reality.
To explore the Progress Tracker—including updates on all 32 active IJM projects and the 14 planned launch locations—contact your IJM representative.
When Hope Answers
Sukhdeb grew up in a small village deep in the hills of Odisha. Like many men in his community, he left school early to support his family. With few good-paying jobs nearby, the pressure to provide weighed heavily on him.
When a stranger called offering work at a shrimp processing factory, Sukhdeb felt optimistic. The salary promised far more than he could earn at home. He was asked to bring friends and four men agreed to go. But soon they were faced with a hard truth: the job was a lie.
The group was taken across state borders to a remote river in Telangana. Surrounded by dense forest, they realized they had been trafficked. Forced onto boats despite not knowing how to swim, Sukhdeb worked long hours hauling heavy nets with little food and constant abuse.
One day, everything changed when two men took the risk to escape into the forest. One night, they called into the darkness, “Is anyone here?” A voice answered, “I am, I am.”
Those words meant everything. They had found Venkataiah, a survivor of bonded labor rescued years earlier by IJM. Knowing exactly what to do, Venkataiah contacted IJM’s local partner who then worked with authorities to rescue Sukhdeb and the others.
Today, Sukhdeb and the others are safe. Their story shows the impact of a community trained on how to respond to bonded labor—survivors come alongside fellow survivors and demand justice from the officials who bear the responsibility for providing it. Captives are set free, and entire communities are safe.
Igniting a movement to End Slavery in Our Lifetime
When IJM began addressing bonded labor in India in 2001, aftercare was informal and focused on immediate needs. As rescues grew to thousands each year, IJM and local authorities developed a structured aftercare model based on global best practices. In India, this includes crisis care, home visits and Freedom Trainings, followed by ongoing support and leadership development.
Jeevan Jwala, meaning “life flame” in Hindi, is a local chapter of the Global Survivor Network and has led seven rescue operations across Andhra Pradesh, freeing 45 people.
“Freedom Training really fills them with some kind of hope…thinking: Yes, my journey doesn’t end here. My journey starts here.”
PRIYANKA GANTA, IJM ANDHRA PRADESH
SCALING AFTERCARE IN INDIA—FREEDOM TRAININGS
Freedom Trainings in India are a cornerstone of IJM’s structured two-year aftercare program designed to help survivors of bonded labor transition from rescue to restoration.
Freedom Trainings are more than workshops—they are transformative gatherings where survivors learn practical life skills, understand their rights and begin to reclaim independence. Topics include hygiene, nutrition, financial planning, healthy relationships and accessing government benefits. Survivor leaders play a vital role, sharing their own journeys from bondage to leadership, and inspiring others to envision a future beyond exploitation.
In September 2025, 31 survivors from Andhra Pradesh attended a Freedom Training in Chittoor. Many had endured years of forced labor in brick kilns, farms and factories. Over two days, they learned essential skills, built friendships and discovered they were not alone. Each participant was invited to join Jeevan Jwala, a network of 900+ survivors advocating for change. For these families and many more across India, these trainings signify a turning point—a moment when freedom becomes more than a certificate; it becomes a future they can own.
This August marked a historic milestone for Ghana: 20 years since the passage of the Human Trafficking Act and 10 years of IJM’s partnership with the government to protect vulnerable children. At the National Justice Conference, survivors from the Ghana Survivor Network took center stage— embodying the heart of this transformative effort and signaling how far the movement has come.
Since 2015, IJM Ghana has helped rescue over 500 children from exploitation, supported
239 survivors on their journey to restoration and secured 70 convictions against traffickers.
We have also seen growing government ownership of this work. In November 2025, the Ghana Police Service commissioned four new patrol boats in their Marine Police Unit, strengthening efforts to combat child trafficking on Lake Volta. This investment builds on IJM’s 2021 pilot boat patrol project and reflects increasing national commitment to protecting children. The team plans to expand the fleet in coming years.
HUNDREDS FREED FROM MYANMAR SCAM COMPOUNDS IDENTIFIED AS TRAFFICKING VICTIMS IN THAILAND
In February 2025, 260 people from 19 countries across Asia and Africa were released from industrial-scale online scamming operations in Myawaddy, Myanmar and handed over to Thai authorities in Mae Sot, Thailand. These compounds are notorious for trafficking victims into extreme working conditions involving constant surveillance, threats and physical violence. Thai officials identified 258 of those released as victims of human trafficking under Thailand’s National Referral Mechanism, marking a critical shift toward survivor protection rather than criminalization.
In response, IJM Thailand rapidly mobilized a team to support victim identification and care in coordination with local partners and Thai authorities. IJM provided translation services, assisted survivors and supported government multi-disciplinary teams responsible for formally identifying trafficking victims. Strong and consistent victim identification in forced scamming cases is vital to long-term protection for migrant workers. They help ensure survivors are treated as victims and connected to services instead of pushed back into harm.
Since 2021, IJM has assisted nearly 500 forced scamming survivors across Southeast Asia while supporting investigations that have led to 15 perpetrator convictions.
“This is the beginning of one of the largest releases of victims from scam compounds in Myanmar, with hundreds or even thousands expected to be freed.”
— ANDREW WASUWONGSE, COUNTRY DIRECTOR, IJM THAILAND
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF JUSTICE IN GHANA—AND THE POWER OF SURVIVOR LEADERSHIP
The Ghana Survivor Network now includes 250 active members leading advocacy and prevention efforts that have already stopped 43 children from being trafficked.
Accelerating Justice and Protection to
Stop Sex Trafficking
In an increasingly interconnected Europe, human trafficking does not stop at borders. IJM’s European Anti-Trafficking Program (EATP) harnesses the power of collaboration to help law enforcement and justice systems work together to stop trafficking at its source.
In Romania, trafficking cases can take more than 1,000 days to resolve, intensifying trauma for survivors while weakening evidence and enabling traffickers to evade accountability. In 2025, IJM supported the Romanian Government in advancing legislative reforms to streamline court procedures, elevate serious cases to higher courts,
modernize judicial communication and strengthen victim rights. Implemented under the U.S.–Romania Child Protection Compact, these reforms are already improving efficiency and laying groundwork for faster, survivor-centered justice.
Building on this progress, the EATP expanded to Poland in 2025—a high-risk trafficking context, with an estimated 209,000 people trapped in modern slavery and 1 million Ukrainian refugees vulnerable to exploitation. Working with authorities, NGOs and survivor leaders, IJM will train law enforcement, strengthen victim support and advocate for systemic change to protect 4.8 million vulnerable people.
At the regional level, EATP achieved a major milestone by training law enforcement and justice actors from more than 20 countries in October. Conducted in Germany with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, this intensive training aligned international actors around shared standards for trauma-informed, victim-centered practices—a hopeful step toward amplifying impact well beyond national borders.
Together, we’re building an influential network of support and protection for survivors across Europe—and we won’t stop until all are free.
IJM'S FIRST CASE IN BANGLADESH FREES TWELVE
On International Human Rights Day, Dhaka Police and IJM Bangladesh rescued 12 victims of sexual exploitation and arrested six traffickers—marking IJM’s first case in the country and a major milestone in the fight against trafficking. After local reports of abuse at an upscale massage parlor in late 2025, IJM verified the exploitation of at least one minor and alerted police.
On December 10, a team of eight police officers, six IJM staff and three survivor leaders from local partner Anirban Survivor Voice conducted the rescue. IJM will continue providing legal support and aftercare, partnering with authorities to assess and meet the survivors’ long-term needs.
Once a hotspot for the online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) in the Philippines’ Northern Mindanao region, Iligan City has become a national model for child protection. After confronting alarming data in 2022, local leaders partnered with IJM to form a Multi-Disciplinary Team and pilot holistic survivor-care programs. This effort has now grown into an institutionalized Task Force with a dedicated annual budget, embedding child protection into city governance.
The transformation is tangible: Iligan moved from being a top OSEC hotspot to being removed from the top 50 list within two years. Over 50 children have been rescued in Iligan City alone, and community reporting has surged, signaling growing trust in local systems. Specialized training for police, prosecutors and social workers has equipped responders to lead proactive operations and secure convictions. Survivors are not only safe but supported through reintegration programs, scholarships and trauma-informed care.
Iligan was designated as a Special Justice Zone by the Supreme Court and now uses that platform to share its model nationwide. This success proves IJM’s theory of change: when justice systems are strengthened and local leaders unite, exploitation can be stopped and lives can be restored—building a safer future for children in the Philippines.
ILIGAN CITY: A MODEL OF SYSTEMIC CHANGE AND HOPE
EUROPEAN ANTI-TRAFFICKING PROGRAM EXPANDS AND REFORMS JUSTICE SYSTEMS
Protecting Women and Children
Through a Survivor-Centered Justice System
In 2025, we celebrated one year of the survivor-led SPEAK! End Violence Against Women campaign. The survivor leaders have called the campaign a “sisterhood for justice” where they feel seen, understood and supported by women who have experienced similar injustices.
"SPEAK! is not just a name, it is a declaration… Women deserve dignity, violence is not love, justice is a right not a privilege… Together, we can build a Uganda where every woman is safe, every girl is protected and no one suffers in silence again."
SAWIYA, SURVIVOR OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
One Year of Mobilizing Uganda—SPEAK! Campaign
Community awareness is essential to breaking the cycle of violence that affects women in Uganda throughout their lives, from girlhood to old age. IJM has partnered with survivor leaders to launch SPEAK!, a three-year initiative designed to empower survivors to encourage community connection to the justice system and increase protection for women and children.
From the campaign’s launch in June 2024 to December 2025, survivors had reached out to 6,400+ individuals and secured 3,200+ commitments to take action for the campaign and for the protection of women. Survivor leaders also supported 26 victims in reporting their cases to the justice system, opening opportunities for justice and restoration.
Even in situations where no formal reports come of the conversations, IJM has still observed a significant deterrence factor: as the abuser sees a woman become empowered to report further instances of violence, they understand that they can no longer take advantage of them without risk. The goal of the campaign is to raise the level of reporting so that the number of cases reported to the justice system reflects the level of violence that women and children face.
Protecting
WOMEN AND CHILDREN
A NATIONAL NETWORK OF TRAUMA-INFORMED TRAINERS IS BORN IN PERU
Peru has more than 1,300 police stations, yet only a handful of units are dedicated to family violence—leaving countless survivors without specialized care. IJM is partnering with the Peruvian government to change that, ensuring survivors of violence are supported from the moment they decide to report an experience of abuse. In October, 76 officers traveled from across Peru to learn how to respond to violence against women and children with empathy and professionalism. Together with judges and prosecutors, they explored trauma-informed care, protection measures and strategies to prevent abuse.
The most powerful outcome was the creation of the National Network of Trainers, a groundbreaking initiative that connects officers across Peru, breaks down geographic barriers and ensures every region has trained personnel ready to protect those most at risk. This network represents a long-term commitment to mentorship, continuous learning and survivor-centered justice. When stakeholders are equipped and united, survivors don’t just find safety—they find hope.
ACCELERATING SAFETY AND JUSTICE IN GUATEMALA
Thanks to your investment, we have launched an accelerated three-year project in Guatemala that is delivering protection to vulnerable communities faster than planned and serving as an incubator for justice system innovations. Our team is operating in three key regions to design interventions that build community trust and strengthen system responses to violence. By engaging critical partners and improving coordination, we are creating a scalable model that can be replicated across Guatemala and in other IJM programs globally.
Your support is fueling faster, smarter protection—laying the groundwork for a stronger justice system that will have lasting, multidimensional impact.
This work is transforming the lives of survivors like Tati.
Tati, a survivor of violence and a leader of My Story Matters—the Guatemalan chapter of the Global Survivor Network—is at the forefront of efforts to advance trauma-informed care (TIC). At IJM’s launch event for the national trauma-informed online training, she issued a powerful call to action: “Not having trauma-informed attention is like not having justice at all.”
Tati’s leadership reflects the power of survivor-driven change. Your investment is helping build a justice system that truly protects and empowers survivors—today and for generations to come.
My
Attendees came from Lima as well as more remote parts of the country (the Amazon, the Andes and the coast) where access to justice is limited.
Attendees to the IJM TIC training launch event included Tati Navas (My Story Matters survivor, pictured top left) and Karin Herrera (Guatemala Vice President, pictured top right).
Story Matters advocates for progress that will end violence against children and women.
Your partnership brought real protection and lasting hope in 2025.
Survivors found safety, justice systems grew stronger and entire communities moved closer to a future free from slavery and violence.
IN 2026, YOUR SUPPORT IS DRIVING ACCELERATION ACROSS IJM'S FIVE CORE STRATEGIES THAT MAKE PROTECTION POSSIBLE:
Collaborating with Local Partners on Casework
Targeting Areas for Justice System Transformation
Empowering Survivors to Advocate
Equipping Partners for Impact and Sustainability
Gathering Baseline Measurements to Prove Impact
As IJM works toward freeing millions and protecting 500 million people over the next decade, we do so with confidence because you are willing to walk the road of protection alongside us.
We are grateful for your commitment to this important work!