HTF in Bucharest, Romania: Photography, Policy, and Practical Tools to Protect Children

Confronting Modern Slavery: HTF in Romania for EU Anti-Trafficking Day

On October 13th and 14th, 2025, Human Thread Foundation Founder Lisa Kristine was in Romania as the guest of eLiberare, an inspiring social movement combating human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Lisa addressed a parliamentary session, took part in a cross-sector roundtable, and opened a dignity-first photography exhibition that brings the often-hidden realities of modern slavery into public view. She was joined by two members of the HTF Board, Rand Rosenberg and Scott Cunnigham. 

The Scale of the Problem

Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the world. The United Nations reports a 25% increase in detected victims between 2019 and 2022. In the European Union, thousands of victims are identified every year — a figure that still underestimates the true scale of the crisis.

Romania is both a source, transit hub, and destination for trafficked persons. According to the latest national data, minors account for almost half of all identified victims, and women remain disproportionately affected. Sexual exploitation continues to be the most frequent form, with cases of forced labor, child pornography, and forced criminality also on the rise.

The 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report places Romania in Tier 2, highlighting persistent systemic gaps: weak victim identification, under-resourced services, and documented cases of corruption and complicity among officials. These gaps leave survivors without adequate protection and allow criminal networks to thrive.

Solutions Through Partnership

In collaboration with eLiberare and Romania’s Joint Special Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, the parliamentary roundtable focused on strengthening prevention and protection systems. Key initiatives presented included:

  • SafeON 2025–2026 — a Ministry of Education–endorsed program providing teachers with practical classroom tools on online safety, risk recognition, trust and boundaries, and digital protection.

  • Parents in the Digital Age — a guide designed to help families prevent and respond to online exploitation affecting children and teens.

  • System-level priorities — stronger investigations (including cases of complicity), survivor-centered services, institutional coordination, and sustainable funding to ensure protection holds.

Bearing Witness Through Photography

Alongside the policy work, Lisa Kristine shared photographs documenting the lived experiences of trafficked persons — bringing visibility to those too often unseen. Each image is an act of witness, intended not only to raise awareness but to provoke accountability and inspire action.

In addition to the exhibition, Lisa spent time photographing survivors and visiting prisons to speak with individuals convicted of human trafficking. Understanding the mechanics of exploitation — without excusing it — is critical to dismantling the systems that allow it to persist.

Why Awareness Days Matter

EU Anti-Trafficking Day is more than a symbolic moment. These days create conversations and connections that can lead to tangible change:

  • supporting frontline organizations,

  • strengthening legal frameworks and accountability,

  • improving prevention and protection for vulnerable communities,

  • and inspiring collective responsibility.

As Lisa shared in her keynote address:

“Photography can open the door, but laws, budgets, and law enforcement must walk through it.”

A Call for Coordinated Global Action

The Human Thread Foundation works to shine a light on human trafficking, pairing truth-telling with practical action. By collaborating with grassroots movements like eLiberare and national institutions, we aim to make the invisible visible — and ensure that visibility leads to protection.

Read more reflections from Lisa’s time in Romania in this week’s Shine a Light.