Our Charity of the Month for June is the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, aka CAASE. Their work includes prevention, policy reform, community engagement, and legal services, and their efforts have made an impact on the culture, institutions, and individuals that perpetrate, profit from, or support sexual exploitation (including sexual assault and the commercial sex trade).
They have had a lot of success in reaching out to law enforcement to change both policies and attitudes in dealing with sexual exploitation, namely not treating the victims as criminals. CAASE leads the End Demand Illinois campaign to end the routine arrest and re-arrest of women and girls in prostitution and instead set in place a statewide system of supportive services for survivors of the sex trade. In addition, EDI advocates for new tools and resources to allow law enforcement to begin arresting, charging, and prosecuting pimps, traffickers, and customers who create the demand for the sex trade.
CAASE was founded in 2006 by Rachel Durchslag, one of the most impressive and inspirational women I know. We first met through Inspiration Corporation, where she was interning while getting a master’s degree in Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. You can read a little about Rachel’s influences and inspirations in this interview with Rebellious Magazine.
To donate to 10% of your purchase to CAASE, and to get 10% off your order at the same time, use the code ‘CAASE10-10’ at checkout.
Rachel speaking at the Words = Change Workshop to help writers address, understand, and fight issues of sexual violence and the sex trade. With her are Patricia, from CAASE's speakers bureau, and Anne Ream of The Voices and Faces Project. (Photo by Sheila Barabad)