San Diego

Women's Expo Seeks to Stop Human Trafficking in San Diego

North County San Diego has higher numbers of human trafficking than even in the city of San Diego

NBC Universal, Inc.

Women throughout San Diego are coming together this week during Human Trafficking Awareness Month in North County for an event focused on stopping human trafficking. The organizer said it is an opportunity to inform the community and challenge businesses to be part of the solution.

"It is the most disgusting, damaging field that people do not understand and the movies in Hollywood do not portray the reality here. And North County unfortunately has the numbers higher than in San Diego,” said Therese Cisneros-Remington, Organizer of the Women of Success Expo.

The annual Women of Success Expo will be held at β€œOne Safe Place” – the North County Family Justice Center in San Marcos on Wednesday afternoon.

It’s estimated as many as 8,000 people are trafficked for sex every year in San Diego County alone.Β NBC 7 uncovered evidence of it happening in nearly every school district in San Diego County.Β 

To help better understand the problem, NBC 7’s STOLEN documentary will be screened as part of the program and NBC 7's own Monica Dean has the honor of emceeing the event. STOLEN is NBC 7’s documentary detailing the findings of a year-long investigation into the sex trafficking and exploitation of children.Β 

The screening will be followed by a panel of speakers ranging from survivors to top prosecutors and law enforcement working to hold perpetrators accountable.

There are still tickets available for the expo – register here.

What do organizers hope people will take away from this event?

"Power, knowledge, resources, hope and faith that there is light at the end of the tunnel there. You need to talk about it because if you don't then it stays hidden under the carpet and it will stay there until we the people speak up and stand together," said Cisneros-Remington.

Contact Us