China’s one child policy led to 30 million more men than women in the past 36 years, which has directly driven up bride trafficking from neighboring countries. Like Lào Cai, on the border of Vietnam: this mountainous rural province is a hotspot for human trafficking. Girls and women are tricked in various ways–from friends inviting them to a birthday party to promises of higher paying jobs–only to end up in forced marriages, unable to escape, subject to the behaviour of their husbands.

Compassion House in Lào Cai is a long-term shelter for female trafficking survivors, and since 2010 they have supported nearly 300 women and girls–some as young as 12 years old. Every year, human traffickers earn over 150B USD, third only to drugs and weapon trafficking. According to the UN, only 1% of all victims of human trafficking are rescued globally. Here are some stories from survivors who escaped.

Director
Janny Chi Lê
Hồng Anh Nguyễn

Producers
Christina Bui
Jenni Trang Le

Editor
Hồng Anh Nguyễn
Pedro Román

Director of Photography
Janny Chi Lê

Script Consultant
Diane Truong
Loan Luong

Translation
Janny Chi Lê

Editor-in-Chief
Keshia Hannam

Head of Production
Stephanie Tangkilisan

Producer
Joy Jihyun Jeong

Post Production Coordinator
Skolastika Lupitawina

Color
Nadya Sabrina

Sound
David Alba

Interviewers
Jenni Trang Le

Special Thanks
Pacific Links Foundation
Be Ba Phan
Bich Ngoc Nguyen
Diep Vuong
Dung Nguyen
Ngan Nguyen
Nhu Vu