In addition to the advocacy work being done on the state level with through the Junior Leagues of Florida State Public Affairs Committee, The Junior League of Tampa is working on the issue of human trafficking locally.

The League’s most significant local effort was through a partnership with Ad 2 Tampa Bay for the launch of the “Abolish” campaign in January 2014, Human Trafficking Awareness Month. The aim of the campaign was to dispel the notion that trafficking only refers narcotics and weapons—that it also encompasses modern day slavery. Specifically, the campaign was meant to draw attention to problem of human trafficking in the Tampa Bay-area—a main point of entry and passage for victims where the average age of victims is 12-years old. The guerilla marketing campaign used the color purple to create striking billboards, posters, and shareable social media content in conjunction with a website, www.AbolishMovement.com, where more information could be found. Another notable part of the campaign was the promotion of National Human Trafficking Resource Center’s 24-hour hotline where suspected incidences of trafficking or direct services could be sought via call or text. In conjunction with the marketing campaign, The Junior League of Tampa held a number of local events, including a commercial sexual exploitation of children training and human trafficking documentary viewing, to better inform the public about this issue.