This presentation highlights the importance of survivor-led leadership and collaborative approaches to creating meaningful policy change. It emphasizes shifting from “power over” to “power with”, encouraging both survivors and allies to engage in equitable partnerships that value lived experience alongside professional expertise. These presenters outline how identity, including race, gender, and survivorship, shape access to power and influence. The presenters challenge participants to reflect on whether they are building individual power or contributing to the collective impact. The presentation further explores how effective collaboration requires humility, mutual respect, and a commitment to doing no harm, while uplifting survivor voices. A key component of the My Life My Choice advocacy model centers on survivor leadership, promotes reciprocal knowledge sharing, and creates intentional opportunities for survivors to lead policy efforts. The importance of community and coalition building is emphasized with strategies such as shared leadership between allies and survivors, defining common goals, building trust, and sustaining partnerships over time. Additionally, the presentation outlines practical skills and roles within policy advocacy, including relationship building, strategic planning, and grassroots mobilization. It addresses sustainability by encouraging self-care, preventing burnout, and celebrating progress. Overall, the presentation underscores the impactful policy change being rooted in collective action, survivor empowerment, and is intentional.
Audrey Morrissey is Executive Director at My Life My Choice and a dedicated survivor leader committed to ending commercial sexual exploitation of children. She founded the organization’s mentoring program and leads national training and advocacy efforts. Her leadership has been widely recognized, including her 2025 appointment to the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking.
Delia Vega is the Public Policy and Community Engagement Manager at My Life My Choice. Ms. Vega has a background in criminal justice, education reform, and anti-human trafficking. She believes that those with lived experience are best equipped to design meaningful solutions and has been leading such efforts through policy, advocacy, and direct services for over 19 years.