About eLiberare
eLiberare Association is a social movement against human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Romania. Founded in 2013, eLiberare pursues, in its activity, several objectives, which involve both education, prevention and combating human trafficking, as well as protecting victims and involvement in the process of improving the legislative framework.
Statistics:
It is estimated that today globally 49.6 million people live in a form of modern slavery*
1 of 4
ARE CHILDREN
54% of
victims
ARE GIRLS AND WOMEN
27.6 million of
victims
Are exploited through work
*source: Global Slavery Index 2023
Anna’ Story
Ana is from a county in the southern part of the country. Her father passed away when she was young. She spent her childhood with her mother and stepfather, who was often violent. She was mostly alone, as her relatives lived far away. Although she went to high school, she didn’t have a close group of friends.
At 17, Ana met a young man a few years older than her on the internet. She fell in love with him, and for several months, they shared thoughts, dreams, and future plans.
After her 18th birthday, her boyfriend suggested that they travel together to Spain to visit his relatives. He also told her that they could see how life was like abroad, find jobs, earn money, and build a life together—a home, perhaps even get married.
However, they ended up in France, where they stayed in an apartment with other people. This is when Ana realized that the past few months of her life had been a lie. Ana was trafficked for four years, across six Western European countries, during which time her mother was desperately searching for her.
At one point, Ana’s trafficker decided to move her to Germany. Feeling she could no longer endure even a second there, she feared for her life. Summoning all her courage, she asked for help. A plan was devised for her to return to Romania.
