Impact of a Matched Savings Program on Survivors of Human Trafficking and Gender-Based Violence in the Philippines/ Eşleştirilmiş Bir Tasarruf Programının Filipinler'de İnsan Ticareti ve Toplumsal Cinsiyete Dayalı Şiddet Mağdurları Üzerindeki Etkisi

Year 2023, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 1 - 22, 30.06.2023

Laura Cordisco Tsai , Carmina Charmaine G. Domingo , Elizabeth Hentschel Ran Hu Melinda Gill

https://doi.org/10.47105/nsb.1154813

Cited By: 1

Abstract

İnsan kaçakçılığından kurtulanlar, genellikle, güvenli istihdama erişim eksikliği, tekrarlayan borçlar, asgari tasarruflar ve ailelerine finansal olarak katkı sağlama baskısı gibi önemli finansal zorluklar yaşarlar. Bu deneyimler, daha fazla şiddete maruz kalmaya karşı savunmasızlıklarını şiddetlendirebilir. Bu nüfus için ekonomik güçlendirme müdahalelerine büyük ölçüde ihtiyaç duyulmasına rağmen, bu tür programlar hakkında çok az değerlendirme yapılmıştır. Bu çalışmada, Filipinler'de insan ticareti ve toplumsal cinsiyete dayalı şiddet mağdurları ve aile üyeleri için iki yıllık eşleştirilmiş tasarruf ve finansal okuryazarlık programı olan Barug programının bir değerlendirmesinden elde edilen bulguları sunuyoruz. Barug programından hayatta kalan 10 mezundan, yapılandırılmış anketler, derinlemesine görüşmeler ve odak grup tartışmaları (OGT’ler) yoluyla nicel ve nitel veriler toplanmıştır. Nicel bulgular, Barug programının tamamlanmasından sonra katılımcıların birikimlerinde artış olduğunu göstermiştir. Tematik analiz ile elde edilen nitel bulgular ise, hayatta kalanların programdaki deneyimleriyle ilgili beş tema ortaya çıkarmıştır: varlık geliştirmeye öncelik verme, gelişmiş bütçeleme becerileri, borç döngüsünden kaçma, psikososyal etki ve gelişmiş aile ilişkileri. Hayatta kalanlar, Barug'un faydalarını finansal, sosyal ve psikolojik etkiler dahil olmak üzere çok yönlü olarak tanımladılar. Bulgular, hayatta kalanların daha fazla finansal istikrar ve psikososyal refah elde etmelerine yardımcı olmak için entegre bir uyumlu tasarruf, finansal okuryazarlık ve psikososyal destek programının vaadini ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

İnsan ticareti, toplumsal cinsiyete dayalı şiddet, tasarruf, varlık geliştirme, finansal kapasite

Impact of a Matched Savings Program on Survivors of Human Trafficking and Gender-Based Violence in the Philippines/ Eşleştirilmiş Bir Tasarruf Programının Filipinler'de İnsan Ticareti ve Toplumsal Cinsiyete Dayalı Şiddet Mağdurları Üzerindeki Etkisi

Abstract

Survivors of human trafficking commonly experience significant financial difficulties, including lack of access to secure employment, recurring debt, minimal savings, and pressures to provide financially for their families. These experiences can exacerbate their vulnerability to experiencing further violence. Although economic empowerment interventions are greatly needed for this population, few evaluations have been conducted of such programs. In this manuscript, we present findings from an assessment of the Barug program, a two-year matched savings and financial literacy program for survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence and their family members in the Philippines. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 10 survivor graduates of the Barug program through a combination of structured surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions (FGDs). Quantitative findings demonstrated increases in participants’ savings after completion of the Barug program. Thematic analysis revealed five themes regarding survivors’ experiences in the program: prioritizing asset development, enhanced budgeting skills, escaping a cycle of debt, psychosocial impact, and improved family relationships. Survivors described the benefits of Barug as multi-faceted, including financial, social, and psychological effects. Findings reveal the promise of an integrated matched savings, financial literacy, and psychosocial support program in helping survivors achieve greater financial stability and psychosocial wellbeing.

Keywords

Human trafficking, gender-based violence, savings, asset development, financial capability

References

• Adams, A. E., & Beeble, M. L. (2019). Intimate partner violence and psychological well-being: Examining the effect of economic abuse on women’s quality of life. Psychology of Violence, 9(5), 517-525. doi:10.1037/vio0000174
• Artadi, E., Bjorkman, M. & La Ferrara, E. (2011). "Factors of vulnerability to human trafficking and prospects for reintegration of former victims. Evidence from the Philippines," Working Papers 374, IGIER (Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research), Bocconi University. https://repec.unibocconi.it/igier/igi/wp/2010/374.pdf
• Asis, M. M. B., Huang, S., & Yeoh, B. S. A. (2004). When the light of the home is abroad: Unskilled female migration and the Filipino family. Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 25(2), 198-215. doi.org/10.1111/j.0129-7619.2004.00182.x
• Braun, & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
• Brennan, D. (2014). Life interrupted: Trafficking into forced labor in the United States. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
• Brunovskis, A. & Surtees, R. (2013). Coming home: Challenges in family reintegration for trafficked women. Qualitative Social Work, 12(4), 454–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325011435257
• Brunovskis, A. & Surtees, R. (2012). A fuller picture. Addressing trafficking-related assistance needs and socio-economic vulnerabilities. Oslo: NEXUS Institute.
• Cordisco Tsai, L. (2022). A survivor-defined framework for economic empowerment: Findings from a photovoice study with survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence. Journal of Human Trafficking. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1080/23322705.2022.2114242
• Cordisco Tsai, L. (2017a). Family financial roles assumed by sex trafficking survivors upon community re-entry: Findings from a financial diaries study in the Philippines. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 27(4), 334-345. doi:10.1080/10911359.2017.1288193
• Cordisco Tsai, L. (2017b). The process of managing family financial pressures upon community re-entry among survivors of sex trafficking in the Philippines: A grounded theory study. Journal of Human Trafficking, 3(3), 211-230. doi:10.1080/23322705.2016.1199181.
• Cordisco Tsai, L., Eleccion, J., & Panda, A. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on survivors of human trafficking in the Philippines. Journal of Modern Slavery: A Multidisciplinary Exploration of Human Trafficking Solutions, 6(2), 231-246.
• Cordisco Tsai, L., Lim, V., & Nhanh, C. (2020). "I feel like we are people who have never known each other before": The experiences of survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation transitioning from shelters to life in the community. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 21(1), Art. 16. doi:10.17169/fqs-21.1.3259
• Cordisco Tsai, L. & Seballos-Llena, I. F. (2020). Reflections on adapting Motivational Interviewing to the Filipino cultural context. Practice: Social Work in Action, 32(1), 43-57. doi:10.1080/09503153.2019.1621279.
• Cordisco Tsai, L., Seballos-Llena, I. F., & Datta, R. (2017). Participatory assessment of a matched savings program for human trafficking survivors and their family members in the Philippines. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 18(2), Art 11. doi:10.17169/FQS-18.2.2748
• Cordisco Tsai, L., Witte, S. S., Aira, T., Riedel, M., Offringa, R., & Chang, M. (2018). Efficacy of a microsavings intervention in increasing income and reducing economic dependence upon sex work among women in Mongolia. International Social Work, 61(1), 6-22. doi:10.1177/0020872815594866
• Despard, M., & Chowa, G. (2010). Social workers’ interest in building financial capability. Journal of Financial Therapy, 1(1), 23-41. https://doi.org/10.4148/jft.v1i1.257
• Enriquez, V. G. (1994). From colonial to liberation psychology: The Philippine experience. De La Salle University Press.
• Fry, M. S., Russell, R., & Brooks, R. (2008). The factors influencing saving in a matched savings program: Goals, knowledge of payment instruments and other behavior. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 29(2), 234–250. doi.org/10.1007/s10834-008-9106-y
• Galam, R. G. (2015). Gender, reflexivity, and positionality in male research in one's own community with Filipino seafarers' wives. Qualitative Social Research, 16(3), Art. 13, http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1503139.
• Hahn, S. A., & Postmus, J. L. (2014). Economic empowerment of impoverished IPV survivors: A review of best practice literature and implications for policy. Trauma, Violence and Abuse, 15, 79–93. doi:10.1177/ 1524838013511541
• Hacker, D., Levine-Fraiman, Y. & Halili, I. (2015). Ungendering and regendering shelters for survivors of human trafficking. Social Inclusion, 3(1), 35–51. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v3i1.173
• Heise, L.L. (2011). What works to prevent partner violence? An evidence overview. STRIVE Research Consortium. London: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
• Hom, K. A. & Woods, S. J. (2013). Trauma and its aftermath for commercially sexually exploited women as told by front-line service providers. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 34(2), 75-81. doi.org/10.3109/01612840.2012.723300
• Kiss, L., Yun, K., Pocock, N., & Zimmerman, C. (2015). Exploitation, violence, and suicide risk among child and adolescent survivors of human trafficking in the Greater Mekong Subregion. JAMA pediatrics, 169(9), e152278. doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.2278
• Le, PT. D. (2017). Reconstructing a Sense of Self. Qualitative Health Research, 27(4), 509–519. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732316646157 Lee, C. S., López, S.R., Colby, S. M., Rohsenow, D., Hernández, L., Borrelli, B., & Caetano, R. (2013). Culturally adapted motivational interviewing for Latino heavy drinkers: Results from a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Ethnicity in substance Abuse, 12(4), 356-373. doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2013.836730
• Lutnick, A. (2016). Domestic minor sex trafficking: Beyond victims and villains. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
• Miller, W. R. & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational interviewing: Helping people change. New York: Guilford Press.
• Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1-13. doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
• Ottisova, L., Smith, P., Shetty, H., Stahl, D., Downs, J., & Oram, S. (2018). Psychological consequences of child trafficking: An historical cohort study of trafficked children in contact with secondary mental health services. PloS One, 13(3), e0192321. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192321 Peled, E., & Krigel, K. (2016). The path to economic independence among survivors of intimate partner violence: A critical review of the literature and courses for action. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 31, 127–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2016.08.005
• Perry, K. M., & McEwing, L. (2013). How do social determinants affect human trafficking in Southeast Asia, and what can we do about it? A systematic review. Health & Human Rights, 15(2), 138-159.
• Pope, C., Ziebland, S., & Mays, N. (2000). Qualitative research in health care. Analysing qualitative data. BMJ, 320(7227), 114–116. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7227.114
• Postmus, J. L., Hetling, A., & Hoge, G. L. (2015). Evaluating a financial education curriculum as an intervention to improve financial behaviors and financial well-being of survivors of domestic violence: Results from a longitudinal randomized controlled study. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 49(1), 250–266. https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12057
• Postmus, J. L., & Plummer, S. B. (2010). Validating the Allstate Foundation’s national model on helping survivors of violence achieve economic self-sufficiency: Final Report. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University, School of Social Work, Center on Violence Against Women & Children.
• Postmus, J. L., Plummer, S. B., McMahon, S., Murshid, N. S., & Kim, M. S. (2012). Understanding economic abuse in the lives of survivors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 27(3), 411-430. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260511421669
• Quisumbing, A. & McNiven, S. (2010). Moving forward, looking back: The impact of migration and remittances on assets, consumption, and credit constraints in the rural Philippines. Journal of Development Studies, 46(1), 91-113. doi.org/10.1080/00220380903197960
• Republic Act Number 10364 (2012). Expanded anti-trafficking in persons act. Republic of the Philippines. Metro Manila: Congress of the Philippines. Official Gazette, http://www.gov.ph/2013/02/06/republic-act-no-10364/ [Accessed: June 30, 2021].
• Richardson, Poudel, M., & Laurie, N. (2009). Sexual trafficking in Nepal: constructing citizenship and livelihoods. Gender, Place and Culture : A Journal of Feminist Geography, 16(3), 259–278. https://doi.org/10.1080/09663690902836300
• Sanders, C. K. (2014). Savings for survivors: An individual development account program for survivors of intimate partner violence. Journal of Social Service Research, 40(3), 297–312. doi.org/10.1080/01488376.2014.893950
• Sanders, C. K. (2011). Asset building programs for domestic violence survivors. National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women. https://vawnet.org/sites/default/files/materials/files/2016-09/AR_AssetBuilding.pdf
• Sanders, C. K., Weaver, T. L., & Schnabel, M. (2007). Economic education for battered women: An evaluation of outcomes. Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work, 22, 240–254. Doi: 10.1177/0886109907302261.
• Scanlon, E. & Sanders, C. K. (2017). Financial capability and asset building: A transformational practice framework. Advances in Social Work, 18(2), 543–562. https://doi.org/10.18060/21245
• Schwarz, A. D., Daley, D., Ramaswamy, M., Rauscher, E., & Britton, H. (2019). The trafficking continuum: Service providers’ perspectives on vulnerability, exploitation, and trafficking. Affilia, 34(1), 116–132. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886109918803648
• Sherraden, M. (2001). Asset-building policies and programs for the poor. In T. Shapiro and E. Wolff (Eds.), Assets for the poor: Spreading the benefits of asset ownership (pp. 302-333). New York: Russell Sage.
• Sherraden, M. (1991). Assets and the poor: A new American welfare policy. Armonk: ME Sharpe.
• Sherraden, M. (1990). Stakeholding: Notes on a theory of welfare based on assets. The Social Service Review, 64(4), 580–601. https://doi.org/10.1086/603797
• Sherraden, M., Laux, S., & Kaufman, C. (2007). Financial education for social workers. Journal of Community Practice, 15(3), 9-36. doi: https://doi.org/10.1300/J125v15n03_02
• Smith-Brake, J., Lim, V., & Nhanh, C. (2015). Economic reintegration of survivors of sex trafficking: Experiences of filial piety and financial anxiety. Phnom Penh: Chab Dai.
• Surtees, R. (2012). Re/integration of trafficked persons: Supporting economic empowerment (Issue Paper #4). Brussels: King Badouin Foundation. https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/sites/antitrafficking/files/reintegration_of_trafficked_persons_supporting_economic_empowerment_1.pdf
• United Nations (2000). United Nations protocol to prevent, suppress, and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, supplementing the United Nations convention against transnational organized crime. Vienna: United Nations.
• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (2019). The inter-agency minimum standards for gender-based violence in emergencies programming.
• US Department of State (2021).Trafficking in persons report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State, https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/TIP_Report_Final_20210701.pdf.
• Walk Free Foundation. (2018). Global Slavery Index. Nedlands: Walk Free Foundation. Warren, A., Marchant, T., Schulze, D., & Chung, D. (2019). From economic abuse to economic empowerment: Piloting a financial literacy curriculum with women who have experienced domestic and family violence. Affilia, 34(4), 498–517. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886109919868828