I’ll always remember the first time I met Anna*. Anna is a survivor of some horrific forms of abuse – trafficking, sexual violence and childhood neglect. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I travelled to meet her, but as I sat in her kitchen listening to her experiences, I was struck by how personally inspired and challenged I was by her attitude and perseverance in working through the trauma she was battling with. When she dropped me off at the train station she thanked me profusely for taking time to chat with her. I remember thinking “This is all wrong. I think I should be thanking her.”

Using common definitions – such as ‘victim’ – can be useful as we dialogue and work together on this issue. However, when a simple definition becomes a label that we stamp on others, we’re in danger of boxing people and missing out on understanding who they really are and seeing their potential for moving beyond the situation they are currently in.

I’m not proud to say that I used to have an attitude of “I’m the charity worker. I’m the ‘sacrificial’ one who is helping you, the ‘victim’.” Thankfully Anna and others have helped me to redefine how I see those who are on the other side of service provision, and my own role as I engage with them. I’ve realised that I’m not all that different from those I work with – and had things been different, the roles could have been easily reversed. I’m also reminded time and time again, how much I have to learn from the women and men I’ve gotten to know over the past few years.

It can be easier to ‘box’ people, but it’s important that we allow ourselves to see beyond that. We need to remove the labels that keep people where we have defined them.

*Not her real name.