2025 Keynote Speakers
Jessica Rogers
Anti-Human Trafficking: Ethical Practices in a Post-COVID, Digital Landscape
In this presentation, Jessica will explore the evolving landscape of human trafficking and the unique challenges faced by survivors in a post-COVID world. She will examine how the shift to digital spaces has created new vulnerabilities for trafficking victims, as well as changed the ways in which they experience and cope with trauma.
Jessica will address the impact of digital platforms on exploitation, focusing on how traffickers are leveraging technology to manipulate and control survivors. The rise of online exploitation and the anonymity in the digital world further complicate the identification and care of survivors, making it crucial for service providers to stay informed and vigilant.
Building on her own survivor experience, Jessica will discuss the importance of practicing ethical, trauma-informed care while engaging with survivors who’ve experienced sexual exploitation, including in digital environments. She will emphasize how language, online perception, and reflective communication play a critical role in building trust and supporting recovery.
As trafficking survivors increasingly seek support from recruitment and exploitation in digital spaces, this knowledge is essential in providing safe, accessible, and effective treatment.
About Jessica
Jessica Rogers is a survivor of domestic sex trafficking with lived experience of addiction. She uses her combined education and lived experience to shed light on these intersecting worlds, and to challenge social perceptions and stigma related to human trafficking. Jessica is actively involved in the research community, aiming to improve the lives of survivors and those who are currently being exploited.
Jessica holds a B.A (Hons.) in Forensic Psychology, a diploma in Addiction and Mental Health Counselling, and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Public Health. She began her career working front-line; however, now works with survivors of gender- based violence and human trafficking by way of program development, evaluation, consulting, and peer-support/counselling. Jessica is known for her strong advocacy abilities, compassion, and work on policy in the mental health sector.