reporter Autumn 2019 Established in 1825 180 years of working against slavery How 180 years of successful campaigning drives us to bring freedom to people today. reporter reporter autumn 2019 autumn 2019 2 comment 3 180 years of delivering freedom Over 200 years ago the world set down that nobody should profit from the enslavement of other Jasmine O’Connor OBE human beings. It took the courage of a small group of Chief Executive remarkable people to challenge the way global business was conducted and they succeeded in abolishing the Transatlantic Slave Trade. But these abolitionists knew their work was not yet done. They knew that there are many ways people find to control and exploit others. In 1839 – 180 years ago – they founded the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, today Anti-Slavery International. And, together with our supporters, we’ve been We work to deliver freedom campaigning against slavery ever since. Cover photo: 180 years of working from slavery to everyone, Together, we have had an enormous against slavery inspires us to look everywhere, always. into a slavery-free future. Photo: Anti-Slavery amount of success over the years. We have Photo: Hadynyah International “We still have 40 million managed to end some forms of slavery reasons to keep on working: completely. Against other forms we’ve made major progress, even if practices The Reporter magazine was Freedom is a fundamental human right, 40 million adults and children haven’t yet been completely eradicated. established in 1825 and has still trapped, controlled and been continuously published everywhere, always. Today, we have 40 million reasons to since 1840. cruelly exploited. ” keep on working: 40 million adults and Series VIII, Vol 25, Issue 1. Anti-Slavery International works to end all forms of children still trapped, controlled and Editor: Jakub Sobik slavery. Slavery affects some of the most vulnerable cruelly exploited. tel: +44 (0)20 7501 8934 people in the world, and out of the 40 million people email: [email protected] With 180 years of campaigning experience, we are confident that we can finish what Layout: Berie Stott, www.dot-ink.com in slavery today, 10 million are children. we started and deliver freedom to all of them. We are developing a new strategy to Anti-Slavery International We work with partners across the globe to deliver Thomas Clarkson House take on the challenges we currently face. The Stableyard freedom to people trapped in slavery. Together, we: Broomgrove Road We can’t achieve this without you. Only by working together have we been able to London SW9 9TL support people to leave slavery and build their lives United Kingdom provide freedom from slavery to so many people so far, and will be able to provide in freedom tel: +44 (0)20 7501 8920 for many more in the future. fax: +44 (0)20 7738 4110 help change laws and policies to protect people email: [email protected] I hope to see you at our Member and Supporter Conference on 14th November, website: www.antislavery.org from being exploited change public attitudes to exploitative practices where we can update you on the progress we’ve made in tackling slavery around UK Registered Charity 1049160 the world and thank you for your support in person. You can find all the details on Company limited by guarantee 3079904 campaign for businesses to make sure people are Registered in England and Wales page 26. not exploited in their supply chains. Thank you for helping to deliver freedom for those who don’t have it. Anti-Slavery International is the world’s oldest abolition movement, founded in 1839 by the original abolitionists. reporter reporter autumn 2019 autumn 2019 4 news 5 Hadijatou Mani was born into slavery. Niger: 10 years’ wait Now she lives in freedom. Photo: Anti-Slavery International for justice as ‘fifth wife’ slavery practice outlawed A decade-long legal battle of The case marks the end of a long legal Hadijatou Mani, a woman forced into battle that Anti-Slavery with its partner sexual slavery as a ‘fifth wife’, ended with in Niger, Timidria, started over a Niger historically outlawing the practice. decade ago. The ‘fifth wife’ is a slavery custom when girls and women are sold to wealthy From ‘fifth wife’ to men to become their ‘unofficial’ fifth anti-slavery hero wives, in addition to the four wives Hadijatou Mani was born into slavery publicly against her former master, permitted by Islam. They are treated as “Hadijatou Mani put her life and then sold as a ‘fifth wife’. She was an unprecedented move in a country domestic and sexual slaves. never paid for her work and lived in a where people of slave descent had no at risk to live the life of her Ms Mani, who as a young girl was sold state of complete submission to her standing in the society. choice and inspired many for around £200 as a ‘fifth wife’ to an master, suffering regular beatings and In a pioneering ruling in October women to follow in her older man, saw that “marriage” ruled sexual violence. 2008, she won the case and damages, footsteps. She is a true unlawful and the ‘fifth wife’ tradition Following her escape with the help of prompting the Government to take anti-slavery hero”. outlawed altogether by the Niger Court Timidria, she married a man she had slavery more seriously. She was Emmanuelle Tremeau, Anti-Slavery International of Appeals. freely chosen, whereupon her former recognised for her bravery by the then master took her to court accusing her US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, of bigamy. and First Lady, Michelle Obama, with the judicial body in Niger, applies to all the Invoking customary law, the local International Women of Courage Award lower courts in the country. in Washington. Nigerien court ruled in favour of her Together with our partners, we will work former master, condemning Ms Mani to She has been living freely since, but to ensure the full implementation of this a brief spell in jail. This prompted her, shockingly, the courts did not annul the ruling. The fight is far from over, but we supported by Anti-Slavery and partners bigamy case against her. Now, after a remain inspired by Ms Mani’s bravery INTERIGHTS and Timidria, to take her decade-long struggle for a new ruling, and resolve to continue working to complaint to the international court of Ms Mani finally saw justice: her freely deliver freedom to all people in Niger. Economic Community of West African chosen marriage was ruled not to be a States (ECOWAS). case of bigamy, and the entire practice of ‘fifth wife’ was ruled unlawful. Provide freedom and justice for The case reverberated across Niger, others like Hadijatou: making it the first time ever when This victory gives hope to other women www.antislavery.org/donate Hadijatou Mani, Niger’s anti-slavery hero. slavery was discussed on public still enslaved as ‘fifth wives’. The ruling or see back page. Photo: Anti-Slavery International radio. Ms Mani bravely testified of the Court of Appeals, the highest reporter reporter autumn 2019 autumn 2019 6 news newsnews 7 High Court reverses cuts to Campaign news: victim support Anti-Slavery archive moves Anti-Slavery and partners have also to a world leading museum Protect, Not Neglect supported another crucial case, in which This year saw the transfer of the High Court reversed the Home the unique Anti-Slavery archive Office’s decision to cut weekly financial and library to the world-leading Anti-Slavery continues to campaign regardless of their individual situation. support for asylum seeking victims of International Slavery Museum for the right protection for survivors of The challenge was brought to the trafficking by over 40%. in Liverpool. slavery in the UK so that they can stay court by two slavery survivors who The survivors, who were prohibited from The collection covers the archive safe, recover and rebuild their lives. had struggled to rebuild their lives working, argued that the cuts left them from 1700s onwards, as well as UK survivors win the right to after their trafficking experiences. The unable to afford to meet their basic needs, manuscripts dating back to the such as healthy food or travelling long term support Home Office recognised both as victims, origins of the international abolition however, it also informed them that to support groups or healthcare movement, including the first Following a successful legal challenge, their specialist support would end only appointments. This affected their issue of the Anti-Slavery Reporter supported by Anti-Slavery, the UK 45 days later. recovery and made them vulnerable magazine from 1825. This archive Government has conceded that to becoming trapped and exploited complements other historical victims of trafficking should receive Together with their legal representative, again, as they were pushed into finding materials transferred earlier to the support according to their individual the survivors successfully argued that alternative ways of making a living. Bodleian Library in Oxford. the state support shouldn’t end so circumstances. This is a major move The High Court ordered the Home Office Anti-Slavery CEO Jasmine O’Connor soon, putting at risk their safety and away from a system where support to repay the difference in income to all said: “There is no more appropriate recovery and making them vulnerable to would only be provided for 45 days victims affected by the cuts. place than the International Slavery after an official recognition as victims, being exploited again. Museum for the UK’s most important Your voice abolition archive to be housed. It Survivors of slavery in the UK do not feel safe In April, we delivered nearly 12,000 of will now be preserved in the manner enough to be able to show their faces.