
Advocacy
Your voice has power. Speak up for justice.
Use your voice to advocate for a safer future. For everyone.
Advocacy creates change
Government officials in Australia are uniquely positioned to create policies and foreign assistance programs that protect vulnerable people from human rights abuses.
As a leader in the global fight against trafficking and violence, IJM brings an inside perspective to the challenges faced by governments, corporations and civil society in addressing these abuses. Our local teams in 19 countries partner with government and community leaders to rescue victims, restrain violent offenders and support survivors. The advocacy team engages policymakers and their staff to share innovative solutions and proven intervention methods to address violence and exploitation that help inform policy and funding choices.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is advocacy at IJM? ¶
Everyone's voice deserves to be heard, and IJM invites advocates to use their voices to help bring about change through government and community action. This happens in several ways:
- Through petitions to Members of Parliament,
- Virtual and in-person meetings at Australian Parliament House,
- Working with other organisations and coalitions to amplify our asks.
What are the different kinds of legislation that IJM works on? ¶
IJM advocates work hard to help pass legislation that protects and defends vulnerable people around the world from slavery, trafficking and violence, like the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) and Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth) .
How can my voice make a difference? ¶
The problems that IJM is seeking to solve impact millions and require intentional action by people in positions of power and influence. Your voice and actions can reach people who have the opportunity to make change happen, especially when you are joined with others. We have seen change happen when people in positions of power do listen to people like you.
We are committed to helping to create intentional opportunities for people like you to come together to take concrete steps to end modern slavery and violence.
How can I get involved in IJM’s advocacy efforts? ¶
If you want to stay up-to-date on our work around the world, follow us on social media and sign up for IJM’s email.
Where can I find IJM's submissions to government? ¶
Here is a list of key submissions to the government and related material.
IJM Policy Recommendations for the Australian Parliament - February 2025
Submission to FATF Online Child Sexual Exploitation Project - 9 October 2024
Joint Submission to Australia's Sanctions Regime Inquiry - 20 September 2024
Submission to the Inquiry into the Effects of Social Media on Australian Society - 28 June 2024
Submission on the Statutory Review of the Online Safety Act - 21 June 2024
Submission on the Basic Online Safety Expectations (BOSE) Amendment Determination - 14 February 2024
Inquiry into the Modern Slavery Amendment (Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner) Bill 2023 - January 2024
Submission on the Federal Pre-Budget 2024-25 - 25 January 2024
Submission on the Relevant Electronic Services (RES) and Designated Internet Services (DIS) Industry Standards - 21 December 2023
Submission on the Parliamentary Inquiry into Law Enforcement Capabilities in Relation to Child Exploitation - 7 July 2023
Submission on the Industry Codes - 23 March 2023
Submission on the Modern Slavery Act Review - January 2023
Submission on the Modern Slavery Act Review - November 2022
Submission on the Draft Industry Codes of Practice for the Online Industry - October 2022
Summary and commentary on the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) Act 2020 - 26 June 2020 (updated January 2021)
Submission to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Consultation Paper on the International Strategy on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery - June 2020
Submission on the National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020-2024 - 31 January 2020
Submission on the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (NSW) - 20 September 2019
Second submission on the Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 - 19 August 2019
Submission on Modern Slavery Act 2018: Draft Guidance for Reporting Entities - 17 May 2019
Submission on the Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 - 4 March 2019
Submission on the Consultation Paper on the National Public Register of Child Sex Offenders - 11 January 2019
Comment on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (OPSC) - 13 August 2018
Submission to the Inquiry into the Strategic Effectiveness and Outcomes of Australia's Aid Program in the Indo Pacific - 15 June 2018
Submission on the Modern Slavery Bill 2018 (Cth) - 20 July 2018
Submission on the Modern Slavery in Supply Chains Reporting Requirement - 24 October 2017
Comment on Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) Bill 2017 (Cth) - 13 September 2017
Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade's Inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia - 5 May 2017
Submission to the Joint Committee on Law Enforcement Inquiry into Human Trafficking - 24 February 2017
Submission to the Select Committee on Human Trafficking in NSW - 18 February 2017
Explore our most recent blog posts on Advocacy:

IJM Australia Congratulates the Albanese Government on its Re-election

Joint Statement: The Urgent Need for an Australian Digital Duty of Care to Protect Children from Online Sexual Abuse

IJM Welcomes Initial Slavery and Trafficking Commitments, Calls for Ongoing Attention in the Election

IJM Welcomes Thailand Modern Slavery Conference 2025
