Catholic anti-trafficking network led by nuns assists 1.2 million worldwide

A Catholic anti-trafficking network, led by nuns, assisted 1.2 million people worldwide in 2025 through its outreach against human exploitation.

The annual report for Talitha Kum, the international network of consecrated life against human trafficking, founded by the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), was published on July 29. The initiative is led by Catholic nuns, and the report details their efforts to prevent trafficking, protect and care for survivors, and build international partnerships.

An accompanying press release from the UISG stated that, according to the International Labour Organization, about 50 million people are living in situations of human trafficking, and exploitation generates over $236 million every year.

Against this exploitation, Talitha Kum reached 1.21 million people through various programs, including prevention activities and survivor protection. This represents a 29.6% increase in the number of people reached compared with 2024.

Talitha Kum also expanded its outreach in other areas, including global partnerships, access to justice, networking, and engagement with young people.

Its efforts with young people are particularly noteworthy. Of the 928,972 people reached through its prevention efforts in 2025, 303,359 were women and girls, and 262,621 were children under the age of 18.

Sister Abby Avelino, MM, international coordinator of Talitha Kum, spoke of the growth of the network as necessary to confront new forms of exploitation, particularly online.

“Human trafficking continues to evolve in increasingly complex ways,” Avelino said in the press release. “Thousands of young people from Africa, Asia, and other regions have been deceived by false promises of employment, trafficked across borders, and forced into cyber-enabled criminal activities through violence and coercion.”

The Talitha Kum network, founded by the UISG in 2009, has expanded its anti-trafficking efforts across 113 countries. Pope Leo XIV addressed them and others in a message sent for the 12th World Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking in February.

On July 15, several UISG representatives met with Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom to share with her the impact of Talitha Kum’s work in 2025.