Kiwi Leading the Fight Against Human Trafficking at Olympics
With global attention on the Tokyo Olympics, Kiwi businesswoman and Chair of charity It’s a Penalty, Katherine Corich, is working to highlight the risk of exploitation, abuse, and human trafficking at worldwide sporting events.
It’s a Penalty is currently
streaming a public service announcement above Shibuya in
Tokyo, the world’s busiest intersection, urging people to
identify and report signs of human trafficking. The video
features Olympians such as Usain Bolt and is seen by 1.4
million people everyday.
Corich, who is a former UK
New Zealander of the Year and Founder of the business
consultancy Sysdoc, says that major sporting events are a
crucial time to raise awareness of exploitation and
trafficking.
“The excitement, distraction and
movement of events like the Olympics provides ample
opportunity for exploitation and trafficking. However,
it’s also a great opportunity to educate, equip, and
encourage sports fans with the right tools and information
to stand up against the issue.”
It’s a Penalty has
been involved in the last seven Olympic Games, Commonwealth
Games, Rugby, Football and Cricket World Cups and
Superbowls. In 2019 its Miami Superbowl campaign brought
five law enforcement agencies together, and with the help of
athlete endorsement resulted in 22 survivors rescued, 47
traffickers arrested, and 4 missing children found.
As a partner of It’s a Penalty, the Sysdoc team
based in New Zealand and the UK provide design thinking
expertise in setting the charity’s strategy, and
implementing action across multiple agencies and law
enforcers.
“For myself, CEO Sarah de Carvahlo, and
the team, working with decision makers in Japan to achieve a
cultural shift in acknowledging this issue and then getting
fully behind it - is a career highlight.”
She says
its important to work with governments and citizens to build
awareness around human trafficking and exploitation,
especially as no country is exempt from its realities.
“Our discussions in Japan have been two years in
the making. It is wonderful to see what transformation is
possible when you can achieve cross-system thinking and
action.”
It’s a Penalty's mission is to free the
24.9 million people who are trapped in exploitation and
trafficking around the world, one-third of which are
children. Since 2014, It’s a Penalty has protected 16,955
survivors.
On average, each campaign impacts 180 million people worldwide.
It’s a Penalty also run an
ongoing campaign featuring star of the movie series Taken,
Liam Neeson, to spread awareness about the signs of human
trafficking.