Mou was sent to the United States by her family from Bangladesh to get married, but soon found herself working for her husband’s family.
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“Photography that documents human trafficking puts a human face on the problem and can influence people in a way that numbers or academic discussion does not. Although photographing human trafficking can be an upsetting experience, bearing witness to the enduring power of the human spirit has provided me with motivation. I want more people to understand the plight of those who have been or are being trafficked, and I want to help survivors heal.

“When I began my long-term project on human trafficking, I reached out to ArtWorks for Freedom founder Kay Chernush. She advised, ‘Don’t wait for an assignment. If you really want to make a difference, go out and shoot it and share it’ — advice I still carry with me many years later.”

— Matilde Simas