The Office of the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner has appointed four Lived Experience Advisors to embed survivor perspectives in the development of Australia’s anti-slavery policies, advocacy and engagement activities.
The appointments, announced last Friday, will support the Office’s Strategic Plan 2025-2028 and reflect a broader shift towards survivor-led approaches in the country’s response to modern slavery.
The Advisors will contribute to policy development, business engagement, national advocacy and guidance on best-practice engagement with people affected by exploitation.
Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner Chris Evans said the appointments represent an important milestone in centring survivor leadership within anti-slavery systems and institutions.
“Survivors deserve to shape the laws, policies and systems that affect them,” he said.
“These appointments reflect our commitment to survivor-centred systems change – moving beyond consultation, towards leadership, co-design and shared decision-making.
“At its core, meaningful engagement is inclusive and facilitates opportunities for affected people to contribute both lived and professional experience in a safe, respectful and transformative way.
“Our Advisors will be supported through orientation, skills development, independent debriefing, flexible engagement arrangements and remuneration.”
Two of the Advisors, Matilda Constable-Webb and Moe Turaga, will work publicly with the Office and stakeholders, while two additional Advisors will participate confidentially.
According to the Commissioner’s Office, the group collectively brings experience relating to human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, visa-related coercion, forced marriage risk, sexual exploitation, family violence and high-control groups.
The appointments follow an open expression-of-interest process co-designed with people who have lived experience of modern slavery.
Applications were accepted in multiple formats to reduce barriers to participation, with the Office receiving 30 submissions.
The emphasis on lived experience reflects recommendations made during parliamentary consideration of the legislation establishing the Anti-Slavery Commissioner role.
A Senate committee previously heard evidence that people affected by modern slavery should be directly involved in shaping the Commissioner’s functions and Australia’s broader anti-slavery response.
“We cannot build effective anti-slavery systems at a distance from the people they are intended to serve,” said newly appointed Advisor Constable-Webb.
“I am truly honoured to be appointed as a Lived Experience Advisor to the Office of the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner and to support work that recognises survivor leadership as essential to meaningful reform.
“Embedding lived expertise into helping shape policy and practice creates stronger, safer and more human responses, not only for recovery, but for prevention and long-term systemic and social change.”
“As rights holders, people with lived experience must be recognised as experts in our own lives,” added fellow Advisor Turaga.
“To be appointed here means we’ve moved beyond consultations and are committed to genuine partnership with dignity and respect.”
A third Advisor, identified only as Belle for confidentiality reasons, said, “I was once hidden by fear, exploitation and manipulation, but speaking the truth turned that pain into power, which could be used as your voice too.”
