Season Two of The Gender Agenda podcast continues with a conversation on one of the most urgent and interconnected challenges facing women and girls across Asia: gender-based violence and modern slavery.
Hosted by Kelly Latimer, Episode Four features Katharine Bryant, Director of Walk Free and co-author of the Global Slavery Index, alongside Sohini Bhattacharya, Senior Advisor to the Accelerator for Shifting Gender Norms through Education and AVPN Gender Equality Ambassador. Together, they explore the systems that enable exploitation, the role of education and data in driving change, and why lasting progress requires action at every level of society.
Understanding the Connections Between Violence and Exploitation
While often discussed separately, gender-based violence and modern slavery are deeply interconnected. Both are rooted in unequal power structures, discrimination and limited access to opportunities.
As the conversation highlights, modern slavery encompasses a range of exploitative practices, including forced labour, human trafficking, debt bondage and forced marriage. Common across all forms is the loss of freedom and the inability to leave a situation due to coercion, threats, deception or violence.
Women and girls are disproportionately affected. According to global estimates referenced in the episode, millions of women continue to experience exploitation through forced marriage, domestic servitude and labour exploitation, often driven by broader social and economic inequalities.
Challenging Misconceptions
One of the key themes of the episode is the misconception that exploitation only happens elsewhere.
Bryant explains that modern slavery exists in every country, regardless of income level or stage of development. While exploitation may take different forms across regions, no society is immune. Global supply chains, labour migration and consumer demand mean that individuals and businesses are often more connected to these issues than they realise.
The discussion also highlights how harmful gender norms continue to shape the experiences of women and girls. Bhattacharya notes that violence and exploitation are often sustained by social expectations that limit women’s choices, autonomy and access to opportunities.
The Power of Education and Agency
Throughout the conversation, education emerges as one of the most powerful tools for prevention.
Drawing on decades of experience working with young people and communities, Bhattacharya explains how education can help individuals recognise their rights, understand consent and identify situations that may place them at risk. Equally important is helping young people develop a sense of agency and confidence in their ability to make choices about their own lives.
Her work on preventing early and forced marriage demonstrates the impact of this approach. By engaging not only young people but entire communities, programmes can challenge long-held assumptions and create environments where girls are supported to remain in school and pursue their ambitions.
The discussion emphasises that meaningful change is most effective when communities themselves become part of the solution, rather than having solutions imposed upon them.
Using Data to Drive Action
The episode also explores the critical role of evidence in shaping policy and accountability.
Through the Global Slavery Index, Walk Free provides one of the world’s most comprehensive datasets on modern slavery, helping governments, businesses and civil society organisations better understand the scale of the challenge and identify areas for action.
For Bryant, data is not simply about measurement. It is a tool for advocacy and accountability. By identifying where vulnerabilities exist and assessing how governments are responding, evidence can help drive stronger policies and encourage action.
Bhattacharya adds that data becomes even more powerful when communities themselves are involved in the process. When individuals can see the realities reflected in their own experiences, it often becomes easier to challenge harmful practices and embrace change.
From Awareness to Systems Change
While progress has been made, both speakers stress that tackling gender-based violence and modern slavery requires long-term systems change.
Governments have a critical role to play through education, social protection, labour rights and legal protections. Businesses must also examine their supply chains and take responsibility for addressing labour exploitation. At the same time, communities, schools and civil society organisations remain essential partners in shifting attitudes and creating safer environments.
The conversation highlights that lasting change is not achieved through a single intervention. It requires sustained collaboration across sectors, alongside a willingness to address the root causes of inequality and exploitation.
Building a Future Grounded in Dignity and Equality
Episode Four ultimately offers a message of cautious optimism. While the challenges are significant, both Bryant and Bhattacharya point to examples of progress happening across Asia and beyond, from stronger protections for workers to community-led initiatives that are transforming attitudes towards gender and violence.
The discussion concludes with a reminder that everyone has a role to play. Whether through supporting fair labour practices, listening to survivor voices, challenging harmful norms or advocating for stronger protections, meaningful change often begins with small actions.
As the episode makes clear, gender-based violence and modern slavery are not inevitable. They are the result of systems that can be challenged, redesigned and transformed to create a future where dignity, safety and equality are rights enjoyed by all.
Listen to Episode Four of The Gender Agenda Season 2 to hear the full conversation on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
