Mariana Ruenes

Lynn Hertzner (@lynnhertzner

Mariana Ruenes has been working since she was 17 years previous to finish modern-day slavery. Now, her Mexico Metropolis-based group companions with the non-public sector, serving to companies in key industries establish, report, and in the end forestall human trafficking and exploitation all through Latin America. Right here, she speaks with Ashoka’s Maria Merola.

Maria Merola: Mariana, we’re all fortunately listening to extra about human trafficking as one of the crucial necessary human rights problems with our time. Can I ask, what was your entry level?

Mariana Ruenes: I come from the NGO world and realized about human trafficking instantly from survivors. Early on, one story particularly helped me perceive the issue — the story of Anita. As a minor, Anita was exploited for home work on the home the place she lived. She was additionally sexually exploited by a member of the family at completely different motels in Mexico Metropolis and the metropolitan space. She was marketed in a nationwide newspaper and was moved across the metropolis by automobile. At one of many motels, a employees individual, a room cleaner, noticed some indicators and sensed one thing was unsuitable. He helped Anita escape however bought fired for it. Taken collectively, this story reveals how a bootleg crime like human trafficking can depend on legit companies to function.

Merola: How did you shift from a broader technique to specializing in companies?

Ruenes: The primary time I approached somebody within the non-public sector, it was an necessary bus firm with a route that goes by way of the middle of the nation. I defined to the supervisor that trafficking networks had been shifting victims alongside the bus route and we would have liked to coach their staff to establish and report what was happening. The individual requested me, “What’s your proof?” It took a short while however we gathered the proof. We began systematizing tales, making a database, getting actually good at doing analysis — so we may map precisely how, when, and the place trafficking was going down. Right this moment, we method companies and say, for instance, “Look, 20% of this sure sort of trafficking is going on in your online business. You have got a accountability to interact with it and defend your organization — and we’re going to provide help to do this.”

Merola: Are some industries extra affected than others?

Ruenes: Sure. At the very least 40% of contemporary slavery and labor exploitation has been recognized in international economies akin to agriculture, fishing, building, and home providers. However we additionally know that social media platforms and journey and tourism industries are vulnerable to intersecting with some type of trafficking or exploitation.

Merola: What actions do you advise corporations take?

Ruenes: Consider your dangers and be clear. Undertake preventive and due diligence practices for zero tolerance of contemporary slavery — all through your operations and business partnerships. Attain out to companions like us for assist and experience. We’ve needed to grow to be consultants in a few of these sectors and we’ve seen that many applications fail as a result of the design course of doesn’t contemplate the challenges confronted by these implementing, akin to lodge homeowners.

With the Inter-American Improvement Financial institution (IDB Make investments), we revealed an evaluation final yr of the dangers of the lodge sector in Mexico. Based mostly on these findings, we’re growing greatest practices and a certification for almost all SME (small and medium enterprise) lodge sector to assist forestall sexual exploitation of their services, and curb dangerous labor practices with weak staff.

Merola: Have you ever talked with hoteliers, gotten their perspective?

Ruenes: Sure, completely. We surveyed over 200 SME lodge homeowners and realized a lot from them. We’ve listened to the obstacles they face. Over 90% say they wish to take motion in opposition to trafficking and exploitation — they imagine that it prevents different organized crime exercise and {that a} certification can have a enterprise value. Even so, they’ve restricted entry to worldwide certifications, few sources to coach employees, and a number of mistrust for authorities. As a consequence of their isolation, they could be unaware of greatest practices. That’s the place our coverage co-design work, use of recent applied sciences, and partnership constructing is available in.

Merola: You’re employed with impartial enterprise homeowners — but additionally huge corporations.

Ruenes: Appropriate. For instance, we’ve labored with Uber for 5 years. It was our first non-public sector partnership. Why Uber? As a result of drivers and couriers have high mobility. They know cities higher than anybody, they see every part. Yearly, as a result of our partnership, round 200,000 drivers discover ways to safely establish and report trafficking with particular indicators — and know-how permits us to experiment with completely different communication methods and approaches to impression analysis. The initiative has expanded to Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador.

Merola: Throughout these efforts and campaigns, are you in the end in search of a mindset shift?

Ruenes: Sure — throughout the non-public sector and among the many basic public as customers of providers and items. Till lately, the entire dialog about sustainability revolved across the surroundings. However our planet’s well being and our human rights — they’re intertwined. We wish to assist corporations and customers have a look at sustainability broadly. Companies should discover ways to forestall unfavourable penalties of their operations and merchandise. For the tourism sector to be sustainable, motels want to consider their impression each within the surroundings as within the native communities they’re hiring – which are typically weak populations to each sexual and labor exploitation. Lodges could understand, as an example, that by offering ladies and migrant staff good working circumstances and alternatives to develop, they might additionally mitigate their employment and rotation disaster, that affects cities like Cancún or Merida.

Merola: Mariana, I discover you employ the time period “trendy slavery” as a lot or greater than “human trafficking.” Why?

Ruenes: Sure, I take advantage of trendy slavery increasingly more, because it consists of stopping sexual exploitation within the context of organized crime, and likewise permits us to account for conditions that stray from “first rate work” into extra extreme types of exploitation. The truth is, the fashionable slavery framework was designed with the non-public sector in thoughts — initially developed within the U.Ok., it has been adopted internationally and can proceed evolving. It asks companies to frankly have a look at their operations and say, “That is our plan to handle these dangers in our enterprise mannequin. It doesn’t suggest that we’ll be capable of do it instantly as a result of provide chains could be sophisticated. However right here’s our 3- to 5-year plan.”

Some years in the past, the notion of Company Social Duty (CSR) was primarily one thing to be delivered outdoors the corporate and our counterparts had been in HR. Right this moment? Effectively, immediately, we’re having a unique dialog with the security and coverage groups inside corporations. They’re changing into extra conscious and extra enthusiastic about transparency and innovation. It’s our work to acknowledge the companies which are on the precise path and displaying what’s attainable. And I am very hopeful to see the place it results in in Mexico.

Mariana Ruenes is an Ashoka Fellow. You’ll be able to learn extra about her and her impression right here.