A scoping review of faith-based responses to human trafficking in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa reports high rates of human trafficking including child soldiers, sex trafficking, forced domestic labor, and ritual enslavement. In some countries, a majority of agencies who provide anti-trafficking specific services are faith-based organizations serving local communities. The shared value of social justice expressed by both religious organizations and the social work profession presents opportunities for collaborations in this field. However, there exist many gaps in the literature on faith-based anti-trafficking interventions, including best practices, program evaluation, and strategies to improve multi-sector collaborations. This research employs a scoping review to map peer-reviewed publications on faith-based organizations in anti-trafficking in sub-Saharan Africa. We examine the types of faith-based organizations providing services in this field, identify the trafficking sectors addressed, and the interventions offered. Informed by the findings of this review, we provide a research roadmap to promote multi-sector anti-slavery collaborations with the goal of maximizing the pool of resources available to both faith-based organizations and social work researchers and practitioners. Indeed, deliberate engagement built on shared values could bolster provision of localized and responsive survivor-centered services in the region.