Fame & Feminism: Celebrities & International Anti-Trafficking Activism

• In Event: Interpretive Approaches to Political Science

Abstract

Although there is ongoing uncertainty about the nature and extent of human trafficking, a broad-based and powerful movement has formed to end this, and among the many participants here, celebrities—persons well known for their artistic, athletic, or other endeavors—are especially prominent. As part of a larger project that examines celebrities’ anti-trafficking work as feminist activism, this paper focuses on celebrities who are active on behalf of international organizations. Specifically, it explores how actors Mira Sorvino and Julia Ormond developed interests in human trafficking through their work as Ambassadors for various United Nations Agencies and for Amnesty International.

Drawing from feminist, representation, and performance theories, and using qualitative-interpretive methods of data collection and analysis, I show that as a result of various personal and temporal-contextual factors, Sorvino and Ormond challenge the widely held belief that celebrities present simplistic, sensationalistic representations of complex issues like human trafficking. In fact, instead of conflating all human trafficking with sex trafficking (which is common among celebrities and in broader public discourse), they have drawn attention to issues of forced labor and other forms of workplace exploitation. In so doing, they represent human trafficking as an international labor issue best addressed by broader legal and economic policies. Consequently, they circulate a feminist ideology that emphasizes structural reforms over expansions of the carceral state to promote gender equality.

Author

• Samantha Ann Majic, CUNY-John Jay College