The Man Enough Podcast

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses sexual violence and human trafficking. 

How do you turn life’s biggest challenges into strength and fuel for activism? 

Learn from Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Ashley Judd as she shares how her experiences being exploited as a child have taught her that “it is [her] birthright to heal.” She is joined by Catherine Chen, CEO of Polaris, the organization working to end sex and labor trafficking, for which Ashley is the spokesperson and activist. This is a solution-forward dialogue that helps to better understand the causes, systemic factors, and opportunities to improve this large issue, which is too often invisible. 

In this episode:

• What constitutes sex and labor exploitation
• How men play a role and can take action to prevent trafficking 
• How pornography contributes to the continuation of harmful behaviors
• How traffickers use coercion and grooming to lure people in 
• The urgent need for societal and economic reforms to effectively fight these crimes

This is a personal, riveting and inspiring conversation that informs and provides hope, despite the heavy topics. We all have a responsibility to open our eyes to how we might be unknowingly upholding or allowing vulnerable people to become victims of trafficking. Ashley and Catherine provide a passionate and uplifting way in.

Timecodes:

Quotes:

"It is my birthright to heal. I am healing. I was born to heal. Healing is my mandate. I am healing right now" - Ashley Judd

"Trafficking happens because our systems are broken. We start with the fundamental, which is we don't have enough economic equity, we don't have enough basic income equity in the United States." - Catherine Chen

"I was commercially sexually exploited when I was 15 years old and I was ‘allegedly’ modeling in Japan. It was commercial sexual exploitation. So, I had a lot of healing to do" - Ashley Judd

About Guests:

Catherine Chen 

Catherine Chen is the CEO of Polaris, an organization at the forefront of the fight against sex and labor trafficking in the United States. For more than twenty years she has led significant initiatives, including raising awareness about migrant workers in Qatar and launching the Partnership for Freedom with President Obama. Her work has influenced policy change and fostered innovative approaches to combating trafficking. She has also held key roles at Humanity United, Save the Children, and served on the Homeland Security Advisory Council. A Stanford and Columbia University alumna, she is a board member of N-A-P-A-W-F and a founding member of Chief, a network for 15 000 women executives.

Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd, is a celebrated actress and a passionate advocate for social justice and women's rights. Ashley has journeyed to over 22 countries, engaging directly with communities to fight gender inequality and male sexual violence. Her experiences are vividly captured in her New York Times bestselling memoir, "All That Is Bitter & Sweet." Ashley holds degrees from the University of Kentucky and Harvard's Kennedy School, where her work on gender violence earned the Dean’s Scholar Award.Her TED Talk on online misogyny has garnered over two million views. Ashley was Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 2017 as one of the Silence Breakers. In 2019, the United Nations honored her as Global Advocate of the Year.

Guest Socials: 

Polaris:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polarisproject/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/polarisproject1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/polarisproject

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/polaris_project

Ashley Judd: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashley_judd

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ashley_Judd

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AshleyJuddOfficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleyjudd?lang=en

Tags: 

#Masculinity #Men #ManEnough #activism #metoo #enough #feminism #humantrafficking #womanhood #community 

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