Featuring Laila Mickelwait
Author, Activist, Founder of Justice Defense Fund and TraffickingHub
January 2023
Laila Mickelwait has been combating the evils of sex-trafficking and sexual exploitation for over a decade and is a recognized leading expert in this area of injustice. She is the Founder of the Justice Defense Fund (JDF) a non profit organization dedicated to empowering survivors of sex trafficking, child sexual abuse material (also known as child pornography), and image based sexual abuse to pursue justice through litigation funding. In addition to this work, the Justice Defense Fund advocates for adoption of laws that will prevent sexual abuse and will provide restoration to victims.
In addition to the Justice Defense Fund, Laila Mickelwait is the Founder of the global TraffickingHub movement that has been supported by millions around the world. This movement is a global effort to hold Pornhub accountable for enabling and profiting from sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of victims. TraffickingHub’s efforts has been supported by over 300 organizations committed to ending online sexual exploitation.
Through Laila’s work and the efforts of all working with the Justice Defense Fund and the TraffickingHub movement, over 10 million illicit videos of abusive, non-consensual, and underage sex has been removed from Pornhubs website. In addition, the attention brought to Pornhubs complicity in sex-trafficking and sexual abuse has led to the resignation of key executives and negative press for the company and others who have supported or were affiliated with Pornhubs exploition of others.
Prior to her current work, Laila Mickelwait served with Exodus Cry, another non-profit organization working to end sexual exploitation and human trafficking. On behalf of Exodus Cry she has presented at conferences, universities, and advocated for legislative reform at the United Nations and to lawmakers in countries around the world.
Laila Mickelwait is truly a leader in the fight against sexual exploitation and human trafficking. She is not only a well known speaker but has been featured or interviewed in hundreds of news articles around the world. Her commitment to ending sexual exploitation not only is helping victims of this injustice but is preventing future exploitation through her advocacy efforts.