Honor individuals taking significant actions to end human trafficking and rescue trafficking victims in Latin America.

Why we care: A strong network of activists and institutions is required to help combat Latin America and the Caribbean’s thriving sex trafficking industry.

How we’re solving this: Recognizing individuals and agencies that are leading the way in fighting human trafficking in Latin American and the Caribbean.

The Latin America and Caribbean Award for the Life and Security of Women and Girls serves to bring attention to important figures in the community that have taken significant actions against human trafficking.

These awards recognize best practices in advocacy, protection, prevention, prosecution, research, media, and artistic expressions against sex trafficking and targeting the demand that fuels sex trafficking in Latin America. For instance, an award was given to the General Attorneys Office of Mexico that secured the first two sentences to trafficking rings, holding organized crime accountable in Mexico.

Taking place in Mexico, through the events surrounding the award ceremony, we also gather best practices on laws and policies to prevent, prosecute, and assist victims of contemporary forms of slavery. Every three years, a publication of good practices is issued.

We are now in the 6th year of the award with the ceremony—which is an opportunity to highlight the issue of sex trafficking in the media—occurring on September 23, 2013 in commemoration of the International Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Prostitution and all forms of Sexual Exploitation.

Previous awardees include organizations and individuals, such as Fundacion Sobrevivientes, Desierto, and Ana Maria Salazar Slack.