The future of freedom is in our hands
In 1997, we were told it would be impossible to rescue even one child from a brothel.
Since then, IJM has brought freedom to nearly half a million children, women and men suffering from violence, and protected over 10 million people from ever experiencing abuse and exploitation in the first place. On behalf of all who are free today because of you — thank you.
In 2024, you helped IJM and our partners:
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Relieve
3,597
children, women and men from violence
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Restore
230
survivors through critical support and aftercare*
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Restrain
2,988
suspected traffickers and abusers from committing acts of violence as a result of strengthened justice systems
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Train
43,590
local officials and community members to better protect their communities and care for survivors
Note: Numbers reflect internal reports as of March 2025 for the calendar year of 2024.
*This number represents survivors "fully restored" using IJM's externally validated Assessment of Survivor Outcomes tool. There are thousands more survivors currently receiving support and participating in ongoing aftercare programs.
The Impact of Protection
380,000 fewer people were in bonded labor in Tamil Nadu, India where IJM concluded a successful project in 2021.
Radical transformation only happens when we’re brave enough to try
Since joining IJM in April 2024, I have been inspired by the incredible community of passionate Australians who have used their resources, time and voices to make giant strides forward in the fight against slavery.
I had the privilege of visiting our field office in Thailand in 2024. A question that came up repeatedly during this trip was “What does it mean to live outside the protection of the law?” As we drove past a home and a factory that marked former places of captivity and oppression, and later got the opportunity to meet a survivor of forced scamming, I got a clear image of the devastating answer to this question. But whilst these experiences highlighted the depth of the problem, I was also encouraged by the brilliance of the solution that IJM offers. IJM work with prosecutors and other justice system officials to ensure that traffickers and perpetrators are held accountable, stopping the cycle of violence and detering others from abusing vulnerable people addresses the root of the issue.
With your partnership, we can continue to build a profound movement that works to strengthen justice systems and ends slavery once and for all.
David Braga
CEO, IJM Australia
Faces of Freedom
If pictures are worth a thousand words, numbers are worth a thousand stories.
The numbers we report every year represent stories of real people whose lives have completely changed because of friends like you.
They are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, friends and neighbors and survivors who now live in freedom, without fear, because they are finally safe.
Ruby*, Philippines
“I believe that you cannot change the world with just your opinion but with your example, and I want to be that living example. I was there too – abused, deprived, and trapped. I want those trapped to know there are people like you who won’t give up until they are found.”
Tin Tin*, Myanmar
“If I see or hear of anyone in abuse, I will tell them that there's a mechanism, there's a way through which you can receive help. There are people waiting to help you."
Collins, Kenya
“I want to advocate for all poor people to be protected from violence. I campaign for justice in my community and my country to bring about justice systems that protect everyone in our great nation.”
YOUR IMPACT AT A GLANCE
Trafficker sentenced to 30 years in IJM’s first forced scamming conviction
In close collaboration with the local government, IJM secured its first conviction in a forced scamming case.
The trafficker was convicted of several crimes, including conspiring in human trafficking and forced labor of minors and was ordered to serve more than 30 years in prison and pay fines worth $42,000 USD. Trafficking sentences exceeding 30 years are rare in Thailand.
For the four Thai citizens who sued the trafficker, the court’s verdict marked justice and safety. For criminals across Thailand, this conviction sent a clear message: trafficking people for forced scamming is a serious crime that merits serious consequences.
Free to be Me follows the story of a child trafficking survivor and her reunion with the IJM staff member who coordinated her rescue
IJM partner Bloom Asia has released a documentary that tells Nary’s story of restoration after being trafficked at a young age. The film captures Nary’s heartfelt reunion with Sharon Cohn Wu, IJM’s President of North America, who was central to her rescue.
Of her experience reconnecting with Nary, Cohn Wu says, "It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment."
IJM Philippines leader receives highest anti-trafficking award from U.S. government
IJM’s Attorney Samson Inocencio, who serves as National Director of IJM Philippines and Regional Vice President of IJM’s Program Against Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC), has been recognised as a 2024 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report Hero. Following in the footsteps of IJM founder and CEO Gary Haugen, Attorney Sam is the second IJM staff member to receive this award.
