Stories

On the evening of October 2, the Religious Studies Department’s STOP-HT (Santa Clara University Teaching, Outreach, and Programs Against Human Trafficking) joined forces with the Leavey School of Business’s My Own Business Institute to bring to campus internationally-renowned anti-trafficking activist Dr. Sunitha Krishnan. Dr. Krishnan is the founder of Prajwala—Asia’s largest institution combating commercial sexual exploitation. Since its inception in 1996, she has assisted in the rescue of more than 26,600 young girls and women across 12 countries. Dr. Krishnan is also the recipient of the fourth highest Indian Civilian Honour–Padma Shri–and recognized as 150 “Fearless Women in the World'' by Newsweek and as a “Trafficking In Persons Hero” by the U.S. State Department. To a riveted audience of about 60 students, faculty, and community members, she described her work confronting traffickers, supporting survivors, and developing innovative models of prevention to disrupt the cycle of intergenerational exploitation. Also present and participating was Sharan Dhanoa, director of the South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking. The event was organized by Prof. Karen Peterson-Iyer and Prof. Janet Giddings, both of the Religious Studies Department, in conjunction with Prof. Abha Singhvi of the Leavey School of Business.

STOP-HT is a faculty and staff group that was formed in 2013 in response to a call made by Bishop Patrick McGrath (of the San Jose Diocese) to persons of faith to respond with urgency, wherever they find themselves, to the shocking offense of human trafficking. They regularly host speakers and events to educate the campus community.