How Systemic Injustice Shapes Women’s Trauma in Oklahoma
Posted by Improving Lives Counseling Services, Inc. | Mental Health
Women who are enslaved, trafficked, or wrongfully imprisoned in the United States endure profound and often invisible suffering. Their individual circumstances may differ, but they are united by the loss of freedom, dignity, and bodily autonomy, losses that are deeply rooted in systemic racism, poverty, gender inequality, and discriminatory legal frameworks.
Whether through the physical chains of trafficking and forced labor, or through the institutional control of wrongful incarceration, their humanity is consistently denied by the very systems that claim to protect them. While this article explores national patterns, Oklahoma stands out as a powerful case study, as the state continues to rank among the highest in female imprisonment rates and reports persistent trafficking concerns.
These injustices are not isolated tragedies but part of a larger web of harm where wrongful incarceration, trafficking, labor exploitation, and politics overlap. Addressing them requires far more than rescue or release; it requires comprehensive policy reform, access to trauma-informed mental health care, and an unyielding commitment to restoring the dignity and freedom stolen from these women. Advocates around the world echo the same call: we must accelerate action for gender equality.
Understanding Systemic Injustice and Women’s Trauma
At Improving Lives Counseling Services, our mission is to provide that kind of care. Our diverse team of licensed counselors understands how trauma impacts women and girls, and we are committed to creating safe, culturally sensitive, and supportive environments where survivors can reclaim their strength.
Wrongful Imprisonment
Although discussions about mass incarceration are frequent, they often overlook women, even though women represent the fastest-growing incarcerated population. In fact, the population of women in state prisons has grown at more than twice the rate of men.
The exact number of wrongfully imprisoned women in the U.S. is unknown, but evidence suggests that many are serving time for crimes that never occurred, or for convictions based on deeply flawed investigations. The Innocence Project has brought to light many such cases, exposing the systemic failures that disproportionately ensnare women, especially those who are already marginalized.
In Oklahoma, these realities are magnified. The state has consistently ranked among the highest in national imprisonment rates. Yet recent progress has been made: the 2024 Oklahoma Survivors’ Act (SB 1835) created a resentencing pathway for survivors of domestic violence whose abuse contributed to their convictions. This reform, however, represents only one step on a much longer road.
Modern Slavery
Modern slavery in the United States is a hidden crisis. Of the estimated 1,091,000 people living in slavery here, approximately 71% are women. The National Organization for Women underscores that slavery today takes many forms, including forced labor, trafficking, and domestic servitude.
Women exploited in slavery are found everywhere, working in restaurants, warehouses, beauty salons, fields, and private homes. Their labor sustains the economy, but their suffering remains invisible. Agricultural work, in particular, reveals staggering levels of abuse. Reports estimate that nearly one-third of women farmworkers live and work under conditions that meet the definition of modern slavery, trapped by coercion, threats of violence, and pay so meager that survival itself depends on continued exploitation.
Oklahoma reflects these same patterns. The Commission on the Status of Women has warned of trafficking and labor-exploitation risks, highlighting serious gaps in both survivor services and statewide data collection that prevent a full understanding of the problem.
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking, which uses force, fraud, or coercion to exploit people for sex or labor, remains a devastating reality across the United States. Unlike common misconceptions, trafficking does not always involve moving victims from place to place; instead, exploitation often occurs in familiar neighborhoods, workplaces, and homes.
Sex trafficking disproportionately targets women, who are manipulated or forced into sexual acts for the profit of others. Traffickers also coerce women into factories, farms, and domestic servitude, where isolation makes them even more vulnerable.
Women who have recently relocated, struggled with homelessness, substance use, or mental health challenges are at especially high risk. Traffickers also prey on college campuses and at large events, using dating apps, concerts, and parties to find victims. Geography further compounds the risk in Oklahoma, which sits at the intersection of I-35 and I-40, highways long linked to trafficking networks.
These realities highlight why many survivors eventually seek professional human trafficking counseling to rebuild safety and stability in their lives.
Combating Injustice
Addressing these injustices requires a multifaceted approach that includes legislative reform, advocacy, workplace initiatives, and community action. Immigration, labor, and criminal justice policies shape women’s vulnerability to exploitation and incarceration. Meanwhile, underfunded programs, weak worker protections, and discriminatory laws allow cycles of abuse to continue.
However, there are promising examples of intervention. One such effort is Oklahoma’s Truckers Against Trafficking initiative, which mobilizes trucking professionals to recognize and respond to trafficking, increasing awareness and intervention capacity.
Overlapping Exploitation
The line between wrongful imprisonment and modern slavery is often blurred. Incarcerated women are routinely forced into labor under prison contracts, earning little or nothing for their work. This exploitation mirrors the experiences of trafficking survivors.
Both groups endure long-term trauma, violence, and manipulation. They often face depression, PTSD, chronic stress, and suicidality. Reintegration into society becomes a monumental challenge, marked by stigma, fractured families, unstable housing, and barriers to employment. Without access to trauma-informed care, many survivors struggle to reclaim their lives, even after release or escape.
How Trauma Counseling Supports Women Affected by Injustice
Improving Lives Counseling Services is committed to breaking these cycles. We provide trauma-informed care for individuals, couples, families, and groups, both in-person and online. Our services are tailored to children, adolescents, adults, and seniors, with a strong focus on supporting women and girls who have endured wrongful imprisonment, trafficking, or modern slavery.
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If you or someone you know needs immediate and confidential support anywhere in the United States, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
