Conference Speaker:
Barbara Amaya
Barbara Amaya is an award winning advocate, speaker, trainer, author of Amazon best selling memoir "Nobody's Girl" and graphic novel "The Destiny of Zoe Carpenter." And a survivor leader in the movement to end human trafficking and all violence against women. Barbara has dedicated her life to combating human trafficking and violence against women and children. She holds a background in education, a credential in early childhood development and a PHD in psychology. Barbara has been actively raising awareness of the sexual exploitation of children and domestic sex trafficking since 2012. Barbara is an author, human trafficking subject matter expert, consultant, trainer and lecturer. Her expert testimony of escaping 'the life' after growing up from the age of 12 in the streets of New York City while a victim of domestic minor sex trafficking, can be read in her award winning, Amazon best selling memoir, "Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Lost Innocence, Modern Day Slavery and Transformation." Her graphic novel "The Destiny of Zoe Carpenter" and its accompanying curriculum is aimed at educating middle and high school students. Barbara shares her compelling story of overcoming trauma and adversity as a source of inspiration in all of her keynotes, presentations and trainings across the United States.
Barbara has personally experienced the juvenile justice and child welfare/foster care systems. As a vulnerable child she experienced the horrific extreme violence of child sexual abuse, then the trauma and violence of domestic minor sex trafficking and exploitation, when she was trafficked on the streets of Washington D.C. then New York City for over a decade.
Today, she offers the education, the awareness and specific information to event attendees that only the expert survivor voice can. Barbara brings awareness of the extreme adversity survivors of violence and trauma truly have to overcome, and trains all attendees including service providers, law enforcement, health care professionals, teachers and counselors on how to interact and interview victims in a truly trauma informed manner.
Barbara shares her multiple experiences of overcoming trauma, DMST ( domestic minor sex trafficking) domestic violence, childhood sexual abuse, drug (heroin) addiction and abuse, jail, prison, uterine cancer and infertility in hopes of uplifting others while they are educated and learn that overcoming horrific mind numbing adversity in one's lifetime is truly possible.
