Engagement of lived experience in international policy and programming

This research reviews how to effectively involve people with lived experience in addressing modern slavery and human trafficking. Commissioned by the UK government and led by the University of Liverpool, the research looked at how well survivor input is included in global efforts to tackle modern slavery.

The study was carried out by a team of experts, including several regional consultants, and focused on examining evidence of best practice for the involvement of survivors in research, practice and policymaking to address modern slavery.

The team included from the University of Liverpool: Professor Alex Balch, Dr. Wendy Asquith, Dr. Allen Kiconco, Helen Bryant (Policy Officer), and Adam Burns (Policy Officer).

Key findings show that meaningful survivor engagement improves policies and programs, benefiting affected communities. However, regional differences in the resonance of terms like 'survivor' and 'modern slavery' can lead to ineffective policies. The study identified 14 promising practices, mainly in program development, underpinned by non-tokenism, trauma-informed approaches, and harm prevention.