More than 200 Organisations: Inhumane Deportation Rules Should be Rejected
On 11 March 2025, the European Commission presented a new proposal for a Return Regulation to replace the current Return Directive. Behind the euphemistic name, the proposal outlines coercive, traumatising, and rights-violating measures premised on an imperative of increasing deportation rates. Instead of focusing on protection, housing, healthcare and education, the Regulation is premised on punitive policies, detention centres, deportation and enforcement.
More than 200 Organisations: Inhumane Deportation Rules Should be Rejected
On 11 March 2025, the European Commission presented a new proposal for a Return Regulation to replace the current Return Directive. Behind the euphemistic name, the proposal outlines coercive, traumatising, and rights-violating measures premised on an imperative of increasing deportation rates. Instead of focusing on protection, housing, healthcare and education, the Regulation is premised on punitive policies, detention centres, deportation and enforcement.
Uphold Human Security And Human Rights, End Mass Deportations And State Repression
Please click here for the PDF version. Para leer la versión en español, dé click aquí.
GAATW stands in full solidarity with human rights advocates and organisations in the urgent call to stop the systems of securitisation, surveillance, and state-led repression that are being used across the US and beyond to criminalise migrants, immigrants and refugees, including trafficked persons.
Under the guise of national security, states are justifying mass deportations, detention and racial profiling, acts that violate fundamental rights and human dignity. In the past months, we have witnessed reports of migrants from working-class groups in the US being forcibly removed from homes, school premises and workplaces by authorities WITHOUT any due process. Many have taken the matter to social media to alert people and disseminate information about raids, checkpoints and patrols in targeted areas.[1]
Uphold Human Security And Human Rights, End Mass Deportations And State Repression
Please click here for the PDF version. Para leer la versión en español, dé click aquí.
GAATW stands in full solidarity with human rights advocates and organisations in the urgent call to stop the systems of securitisation, surveillance, and state-led repression that are being used across the US and beyond to criminalise migrants, immigrants and refugees, including trafficked persons.
Under the guise of national security, states are justifying mass deportations, detention and racial profiling, acts that violate fundamental rights and human dignity. In the past months, we have witnessed reports of migrants from working-class groups in the US being forcibly removed from homes, school premises and workplaces by authorities WITHOUT any due process. Many have taken the matter to social media to alert people and disseminate information about raids, checkpoints and patrols in targeted areas.[1]
The GAATW Board of Directors meets once a year and it monitors the implementation of the strategic plan, the functioning of the International Secretariat (IS) in this regard and gives the final approval to the Regional Chapters’ Activity Plans. It nominates new IB members, and an Executive committee (Ex-Co) which directly oversees the daily running of the IS with regard to financial, personnel, and legal matters. Under the Current Statute the composition of the IB members is mandated to reflect representation from different world regions and professional experiences.
Dr Naruemon Thabchumpon President
Ajarn Naruemon is Assistant Professor in Politics and Director of the Asian Research Center for Migration at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Politics and Government from Thammasat University and PhD in Politics and International Studies from Leeds University. She has published numerous articles and book chapters, and made numerous conference presentations on politics, development, civil society, human rights, and migration in Thailand and ASEAN.
Poonsap Suanmuang Tulaphan Member and Treasurer
Poonsap is the Director of the Foundation for Labour and Employment Promotion (FLEP) or HomeNet Thailand – an organisation that advocates for the rights and well-being of informal workers. Poonsap has over three decades of experience working with women and informal workers in Thailand. She has helped develop women’s potential and improve their economic situations using local knowledge of science and technology as well as community enterprise. Her current work is centred on organizing membership-based organisation of informal workers, as well as promoting and advocating for social protection policies and legislation covering informal workers in Thailand.
Dr Ratchada Jayagupta Member and Secretary
Ratchada is a Research Fellow on forced migration specializing in anti-human trafficking at the Institute of Asian Studies at Chulalongkorrn University. She is also the Thailand representative to ACWC, ASEAN. ACWC is an intergovernmental body and an integral part of the ASEAN structure. Ratchada was a National Project Coordinator at the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP-Thailand Office). She was also the international program liaison officer for the Southeast Asian Regional School in Forced Migration (SEARSFM), in collaboration with the Refugee Studies Centre (RSC), University of Oxford, and the IASFM (International Association for the Study of Forced Migration) 8th Conference in January 2003, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Bianca Fidone Member representing Latin American membership
Bianca is the assistant director of the Corporación Espacios de Mujer, a GAATW member based in Medellín, Colombia. There she works as coordinator of international cooperation projects and thematic research and advises on administrative issues. Before joining CEM, Bianca worked with the Italian Council for Refugees (CIR) in Rome, offering language assistance to applicants for asylum and refugee status. Before that, she worked in the NGO PRODOCS (Rome), gaining significant experience in the administration and management of projects and international cooperation. Bianca has specialised in Human Rights, Gender, Human Trafficking and Migration.
Dr. Lucila Granada Member representing European membership
Lucila has academic, campaigning and policy expertise centred on the rights of migrant workers and with experience of working with victims of exploitation. Lucila led CLA UK, a coalition of Latin American organisations from the voluntary sector which raises awareness and understanding of the issues facing the Latin American community in the UK and provides a collective voice for the interests of this community. Lucila is now the CEO at Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX). She also holds a PhD on migration, language and ethnic identity.
Andriyeni Member representing Southeast and East Asia membership
A women's rights activist and feminist lawyer, Andriyeni is the Program Coordinator of the National Executive Board at Solidaritas Perempuan (SP)-Women’s Solidarity for Human Rights from 2023-2027. SP is a feminist organisation that works for marginalised, poor, oppressed, and exploited women, including women migrant workers. Its mandate is to strengthen the feminist political movement in fighting the patriarchal political system that impoverishes women in Indonesia. One of the programme areas that she works on at SP is the protection of women migrant workers and their family members through policy advocacy and case handling. They focus on cases of violence, rights violations, and human trafficking in the informal sector, including those in domestic work and palm oil plantations and online scamming.
Grace Ideahor Osakue Member representing Africa membership
An educationist, sexuality expert, and social worker, Grace is co-founder of Girls' Power Initiative (GPI) Nigeria. GPI seeks to empower and promote sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among girls through educational programs, counseling, referral services, and social action. Grace is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of GPI, the Network of Civil Society Organisations against Trafficking Child Labour and Abuse (NACTAL), and Focal Point for Trafficking in Persons within the UNODC Vienna UNTOC Stakeholders forum. She has extensive experience in research, advocacy, curricular development, awareness raising, and consultancies on women's and girls' rights, sexuality, and human trafficking issues. She has co-ordinated GPI's work on human trafficking since 1997, which spans from research and awareness-raising for prevention to rehabilitation and social inclusion of returned trafficked persons.
Meera Raghavendra Member representing Asia membership
Meera has a Master's degree in Social Work (MSW), and Philosophy in Population Studies from Madras University, India. She founded Women's Initiatives (WINS) in 1994. Gender equality and sexuality rights across the gender spectrum have been the core areas of WINS' work since the beginning. With her 28 years of work experience in the field, she has been a master trainer and consultant on a wide range of issues related to gender, sex, sexuality, human rights, sexual health and law, STDs, HIV and AIDs, community health, care, and the protection of children in difficult circumstances. She is presently leading a program that aims to reorient small women's entrepreneurship to position them into efforts that are gender equitable, climate-resilient, nutritionally secure, and sustainable.
International Secretariat
GAATW's International Secretariat is based in Bangkok, Thailand. Its core functions are to service and support the members of the Alliance by:
Making local issues internationally visible and supporting Members in their advocacy efforts;
Helping to apply international policies and standards locally;
Producing evidence, research and analysis on issues that impact migrant women workers;
Facilitating local, regional and international representation of Members at relevant fora;
Building, facilitating and maintaining mutual exchanges, communications and learning with and among Alliance members;
Collecting, processing, disseminating and making easily accessible to members, essential documents on trafficking, as well as generally relevant information, in support of their activities;
Developing and making available information resources on trafficking, gender, globalisation and informal economies, rights-based advocacy, and research methodologies;
Facilitating capacity building and organising conceptual clarity sessions for Alliance members as well as non-members upon request.
Apivart (Nong) Chaison
Finance and Admin Manager
Nong is from Nakorn Phanom, the Northeast province of Thailand bordering Laos. Having started work with GAATW in 1997, she is now the most senior staff member at GAATW-IS. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. She is responsible for overall functions in the finance and administration unit, donor reporting, and communicating with local authorities in Thailand with regard to tax and governance matters. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bandana Pattanaik
International Coordinator
Bandana is responsible for the overall coordination of the International Secretariat. Bandana has been with GAATW since 1999 doing research, training, and working with self-organised groups. She holds an MA in English Literature as well as an MA in Women’s Studies. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Alfie Gordo
Programme Lead, Women on the Move
Alfie rejoined GAATW-IS in January 2023. She is responsible for the efficient and smooth implementation of the core functions and plans of GAATW-IS, in line with its Theroy of Change. She also plays a key role in organisational and programme development initiatives. She first joined the team in 2005 as a Communications Officer and later served in different programme roles until December 2019. Alfie is from the Philippines and holds a degree in Environmental Planning from Miriam College. Her previous work has focused on communications, working with Filipina women survivors of war crimes, and with self-organised groups of women migrant workers in the Asia region. She also has some consultancy experience in grant management for a feminist fund. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Maya Linstrum-Newman
Programme Lead, Human Trafficking and Forced Labour
Maya joined GAATW in May 2022 and is responsible for GAATW's advocacy work at the international and national levels. She is a qualified lawyer and practiced criminal law in the UK before transitioning to policy and advocacy roles within human rights organisations. Maya has worked on national and international advocacy strategies on a range of human rights issues in Europe, Africa and Asia, including the abolition of the death penalty, stronger protections for trafficked persons, and accountability for survivors of torture. She holds a law degree and an LLM in public international law, both from the London School of Economics. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Trisana Jirasawanont
Administrative Assistant
Trisana joined GAATW in February 2025 and she is responsible for administration work. She previously worked as a creative marketing executive and has worked with PAUL International, focusing on developing and executing campaigns. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine and Applied Arts Education from Thammasat University, Thailand. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Vivian Cartagena
Programme Officer Alliance Strengthening
Vivian joined GAATW in February 2023 and will be responsible for strengthening the Secretariat's engagement with Alliance members and ensuring that members' contexts and priorities are reflected in the Secretatiat's work. She is a Political Scientist and has previously worked with an Ecuadorian human rights organisation focused on advocating and research on regularisation processes for migrants. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Borislav (Bobby) Gerasimov
Editor, Anti-Trafficking Review (part-time)
Borislav joined GAATW in 2016 and is currently responsible for the editorial and managerial work of Anti-Trafficking Review. He holds a degree in English Philology from Sofia University and has previously worked at GAATW's members in Bulgaria and the Netherlands,. He has also volunteered for organisations supporting Roma youth, LGBTI people, people living with HIV/AIDS, and sex workers. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Dewi Nova Wahyuni
Consultant (part-time)
Dewi Nova is responsible for engagement with members and partners in Asia, particularly in Indonesia, who have been working on the issue of human trafficking, labour migration and workers' rights. She first joined the IS team in 2008 as Programme Officer, Asia. She rejoined as a Consultant in January 2020 until present to support members and partners in Indonesia in advocacy planning and in carrying out participatory documentation. She will also co-coordinate communications and other activities in Southeast Asia. Nova is from Jakarta, Indonesia. She holds a degree in English from the University of Diponegoro. She is an activist who works with the women's and LGBTIQ rights movement and workers' groups in Indonesia. She uses FPAR and art approaches, such as poetry, short story, performance, and dance movement therapy classes, for self-healing and human rights advocacy. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Principles
The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) is a network of non-governmental organisations from all regions of the world, who share a deep concern for the women, children and men whose human rights have been violated by the criminal practice of human trafficking.
GAATW is committed to work for changes in the political, economic, social and legal systems and structures which contribute to the persistence of trafficking in persons and other human rights violations in the context of migratory movements for diverse purposes, including security of labour and livelihood. In particular, GAATW addresses the diverse issues arising from the trafficking in persons as currently defined in the Palermo Protocol. Within this framework, it addresses the core aspects of trafficking in persons: forced labour and services in all sectors of the formal and informal economy as well as the public and private organisation of work. Furthermore, GAATW promotes and defends the rights and safety of all migrants and their families against the threats of an increasingly globalised and informal labour market.
GAATW applies a Human Rights Based Approach to address trafficking issues, which means:
Centring the human rights of trafficked persons and those in vulnerable situations, in all anti-trafficking activities
Acknowledging the equality of all persons to exercise, defend and promote their inherent, universal and indivisible human rights
Non-discrimination on any grounds, including – singly or in combination - race, ethnicity, descent, sexual orientation or gender identity, religion, gender, age, migrant status, national or social origin, birth or other status, or occupation (including work in the informal sectors such as domestic work, sex work, etc.)
Primacy of the principles of accountability, participation and inclusivity/ non-discrimination in working methodologies, and organisational structures and procedures. In this respect, self-representation and organisation of those directly affected by trafficking are strongly encouraged and supported.
GAATW supports the sharing of knowledge, working experiences and working methodologies amongst its members, in order to enhance the effectiveness of collective anti-trafficking activities.
GAATW welcomes co-operation with all organisations, agencies or persons who share its principles.
GAATW is organisationally independent and will refrain from any party political, governmental, commercial or religious affiliations. However, members are autonomous and free to enter into affiliations of their choice, as long as these are not contradictory to GAATW's Basic Principles.
History
Our roots
The story of the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) is a women’s story; it is a story of women building alliances across borders. This story also marks a moment of maturity in the feminist movement when women:
Acknowledged that the vision of global sisterhood is fraught with numerous tensions – including those of class, race, sexuality and nationality - and began to understand that they need to listen before speaking on behalf of other women;
Recognised that alliances, feminist or otherwise, are built around unequal power relationships;
Understood that solidarities for political action can only be effective if one is able to negotiate different agendas.
Why was it launched
A feminist participatory action research project carried out in Thailand by the Foundation for Women, Bangkok, revealed the complexities around women’s cross border migration, entry into prostitution, sexual and other exploitations. The findings of this study were shared at an international conference in Chiang Mai in 1994. Discussions at the conference found parallels in research studies and direct assistance experiences in other countries. Participants identified problematic areas in the contemporary discourse and activism around trafficking in women. A collective decision was taken to launch the GLOBAL ALLIANCE AGAINST TRAFFIC IN WOMEN.
GAATW started her work by asking simple questions: why do women migrate, why do some of them end up in difficult situations, what indeed are the elements of trafficking, are trafficking and prostitution synonymous and what could be done so that the human rights of women who experience exploitation in migration can be protected.
GAATW applies a Human Rights Based Approach to address trafficking issues, which means:
