The “Association of Albanian Girls and Women” (AAGW) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization created of, by, and for victims of human trafficking in Albania. There are close to 7000 Albanian women who are victims of illegal trafficking for the purpose of enforced prostitution, one third of whom are younger than eighteen. There are currently about thirty girls/women in the Tirana’s primary trafficking shelter, and more are arriving all the time. The average age is seventeen; the youngest girls are thirteen. These girls are the beneficiaries of AAGW, but they are also its members and leaders.

A primary aim of AAGW is to help victims of trafficking reintegrate into Albanian society. AAGW hopes to achieve this goal by supporting job training, job placement, and handicraft production programs. Equally importantly, since AAGW is an organization run by and for trafficked women, its daily operation also offers important leadership and managerial experience and provides a voice for this marginalized group in Albanian society.

Job Training & Placement
AAGW and its supporters work independently and in conjunction with the IOM and other NGO’s and vocational programs to provide targeted job skills training, ranging from general orientation in “workplace expectations” to vocation-specific training. AAGW also works with a targeted group of employers to place former trafficked women into safe and constructive work environments.

Handicraft Production
AAGW provides the victims at the shelter with materials and training in artistic handicrafts. There are three reasons such an activity is beneficial. The first is the inherent therapeutic value of the creative process. Manual artistry is psychologically soothing and rehabilitative, and these girls urgently need emotional rehabilitation. Second, producing a work of art which is beautiful and valuable in the eyes of others is beneficial for self-esteem. These are girls who lack even the minimum of self-respect, and seeing that others view their work favorably aids in the development of a positive self-image. Finally, the money for all items sold goes directly to the artists themselves. Earning money from the work of one’s own hands is helpful emotionally as well as financially.

Developing Leadership Skills
Another important purpose of AAGW is to provide leadership opportunities for trafficking victims to take a role in supervising the activities of the organization. The president and other leaders of the group are victims themselves and have been elected by other victims. The members decide on the activities the organization will sponsor and how funds will be used. They decide, for example, which handicrafts to make, what materials they need, and how to budget their money. Such a process is educational and provides them with important financial, interpersonal, and decision-making skills.

Providing a Voice
AAGW gives victims of trafficking a voice. Providing victims a public platform will improve not only how the women view themselves, but also how others in society view them. AAGW members hope to work in conjunction with other NGO’s dealing with trafficking and women’s issues to help create a cooperative network of organizations that address different aspects of the trafficking problem. A final long-term goal of AAGW is to help educate the general public about trafficking through outreach activities by former victims.

AAGW is a tool for personal empowerment. These young women have been robbed of their human dignity. AAGW seeks to help them restore it. These victims are the experts on trafficking; they know best how to determine their own needs and propose solutions for lasting change. AAGW gives them such an opportunity.