Kate Garbers
Born1981
NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)Non-profit director
Human-rights activist
OrganizationUnseen charity
Known forFighting modern slavery
AwardsInfluencer Award
Amnesty International
McWhirter Foundation

Kate Garbers (born 1981) is a founder and former managing director[1][2] of the Bristol, UK-based anti-slavery organisation and charity Unseen.[3] She has developed projects to support survivors of slavery, and assists and advises survivors. She also works with law enforcement agencies and governments on how to tackle trafficking, including contributing to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the National Referral Mechanism Review.[4][5]

Career

Garbers became an activist after working with children in a Ukrainian orphanage and learning there would be no help or places for them to go. This gave rise to problems including alcohol and drug abuse, homelessness, human trafficking and prostitution, which local police had difficulty dealing with.[6]

Garbers teamed up with Andrew Wallis, an anti-trafficking campaigner, to establish Unseen UK in November 2008[7] and later opened southwest England's first safe house for women victims of trafficking in Bristol.[6]

Unseen's "Let's Nail It" campaign was supported by Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy and Bristol North West MP Darren Jones.[8] As well as campaigning against exploitation of employees working in nail-bars,[9] Garbers has highlighted exploitation of workers in car-wash facilities,[3] including in 2016 when Garbers and Unseen staff participated in visits with 50 police resources dispatched to 24 business locations in Devon and Cornwall in a multi-agency operation across five forces, and led by the National Crime Agency, over possible labour exploitation.[10]

In 2018, Garbers spoke at the TEDxExeter conference about modern slavery.[11]

Awards

In 2012, Garbers received a Citizenship Award from the McWhirter Foundation.[12] In 2015, Unseen was given a Charity Times Award for Best Charity under £1 million.[12] In 2017, Garbers received the Influencer Award, a UK national Social Change Award for her work combatting human trafficking, including contributing to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the National Referral Mechanism Review.[4]

On International Women's Day in March 2018, Amnesty International recognized Garbers as one of six "ordinary women who are changing the world" by campaigning against modern injustices.[13] She was also named as one of the 100 most influential women in the west of England for her work fighting modern-day slavery at a local, national and international level.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Kate Garbers moves on from Unseen". Unseen. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Child sex and drug trafficking cases 'tip of the iceberg' as UK..." 29 August 2018 – via www.reuters.com.
  3. 1 2 Bulman, May (14 November 2018). "Trafficked car wash workers suffering trench foot, chemical burns and illegally low pay, MPs say". Independent. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Social Change Awards winners announced". www.charitytimes.com.
  5. ↑ "Kate Garbers". Guardian. January 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Influencer Award - Directory of Social Change". Directory of Social Change. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  7. ↑ "Unseen UK". Companies House. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  8. ↑ Wallwork, Ellen (26 October 2017). "MP Darren Jones Sports Red Nail Polish In Parliament To Raise Awareness Of Modern Slavery". Huffington Post. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  9. ↑ Garbers, Kate (5 January 2018). "Nail bars are havens for modern slavery. Here's how you can help tackle it". Guardian. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  10. ↑ "Modern slavery week of action". Devon and Cornwall Police. 6 June 2016.
  11. ↑ Hedge, Stacey. "TEDxExeter Speakers – Page 2". tedxexeter.com.
  12. 1 2 "Kate's dream of creating a world without slavery puts her in line for national award". Bishopston Voice. 30 January 2017.
  13. ↑ Barrie, Joshua (8 March 2018). "6 incredible women changing the world as we celebrate International Women's Day". The Mirror.
  14. ↑ Thatcher, Holly (8 March 2018). "The 100 most influential women in the West". Bristol Post. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
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