29: 12 years Working with Human Trafficking Survivors // The Story of Jessica Minhas

Jessica Minhas is a human rights advocate, author, social entrepreneur, and media commentator who makes complex human rights issues relevant, understandable and actionable for audiences of all ages. For the past 12 years, Jessica has worked in media, carefully producing inspiring media content on complex human rights issues; and the survivor advocacy space, crafting economic empowerment programs and investigations on behalf of sex trafficking victims.

In addition to her humanitarian work, Jessica is the Founder and CEO of I’ll Go First, a nonprofit organization dedicated to leveraging media and technology in order to provide remote psychosocial care to marginalized trauma populations throughout the developing world, and is working on her first book- an investigative memoir entitled, “I’ll Go First”- following her personal journey of searching for her biological family and finding her life’s calling.

Jessica graduated from the University of Central Florida, and has completed graduate studies work in Journalism at NYU, and in Global Mental Health Trauma and Refugee Recovery with Harvard Medical School. She has been honored as a Rising Leader by the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards, is a recipient of a Noble Award on behalf of The Blind Project, and is currently a Hive Global Leader, a New York New Abolitionist, a Global Shaper on behalf of the World Economic Forum and a United Nations Global Accelerator.

Time-Stamped Show Notes:

• 5:08 Eric and Jessica talk about motivation using fear versus motivation using positivity and which one holds more weight.
• 7:12 Jessica shares her most rock bottom and lowest moment in her life.
• 10:04 After her grandfather passed away, Jessica was sexually assaulted but there was no one to support her.
• 13:41 Searching for her biological parents led her to India. This is the moment when she learned about the harsh reality of child sex trafficking.
• 16:22 Her father had issues with racism, especially when drunk.
• 21:17 Jessica shares her insight on how to solve the problem of child sex trafficking.
• 23:20 Child labor trafficking is a more challenging issue to solve according to Jessica.
• 26:50 There are gray areas in the issue of child trafficking, which makes it difficult for Jessica and other human rights advocates.
• 30:46 For Jessica, education could be the magic bullet that might be able to solve child trafficking.
• 34:13 Being vulnerable and sharing everything about her past during a conference, Jessica was able to prevent someone from committing suicide.
• 38:32 What is a day in the life of Jessica?
• 40:04 Jessica explains what her nonprofit organization, I’ll Go First, is all about.
• 48:02 Eric tells a story about one of his trips to Thailand and he wanted to know if what he did there contributed to the illegal trafficking business.
• 52:39 Another personal example that Eric opens up regarding the sex trade business and what he should have done differently in this type of situation.

This Episode Brought to You By:

• 32:02 Rainn.org provides free 24/7 confidential support regarding sexual assault. Remember that sexual assault is never your fault, under any circumstances. If you need someone to talk to, reach out to the national sexual assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit Rainn.org
• 46:25 We would love to get your feedback on Eric’s new book called The Standing Spot, which is about Eric’s personal journey through his most difficult times as a kid dealing with peer pressure, bullying, gangs, drugs, being arrested, and his road to recovery. You can check out the intro and prologue of the book available for download on StandingSpot.com and send us your comments, tips, or suggestions.

Key Points from the Interview:

• “It’s called I’ll Go First because we want people to go first in their own personal healing. Like even if we wanted to be with them 24/7, we just can’t. So we want people to feel equipped and empowered to do that journey on their own.”
• “I think healing is hard, but I think that you should fight for it because it is the fight of your life for your life.”

Resources Mentioned:

• LinkedIn: JessicaMinhas
• Facebook: @officialjessicaminhas
• Twitter: @JessicaMinhas
• JessicaMinhas.com
• IllGoFirst.com
• Healing is Possible | Jessica Minhas | TEDxGunnHighSchool
• Enslaved: from Victim to Victor: Jessica Minhas at TEDxFiDiWomen
• Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking by Raleigh Sadler 
• Shoe Dog by Phil Knight