International Justice Mission UK

About Us

International Justice Mission is a global organisation that protects people in poverty from violence.

As the world's largest international anti-slavery organisation, our mission is to rescue millions, protect half a billion and make justice for people in poverty unstoppable.

How does IJM work?

IJM partners with local authorities in 24 programme offices in 14 countries* to combat slavery, violence against women and children, and police abuse of power against people who are in poverty. IJM works to bring victims of violence and abuse to safety and protection, hold perpetrators accountable, and help local law enforcement build a safe future that lasts.

The IJM Theory of Change

Strengthen Justice Systems

We collaborate with justice system and community leaders to respond effectively to violence. Together, we design improvements that serve survivors, deter criminals and dramatically decrease violence.

We Protect People from Violence

We partner with local authorities to rescue individual victims of violence and restore survivors to safety and stability. Together, more than 57,000 people have been protected from slavery and violence.

Bring Criminals to Justice

We work alongside justice system officials to ensure that criminals are held accountable, stopping the cycle of violence and deterring others from abusing vulnerable people.

Scale Demand for Protection

We convene and equip champions to advocate for protection as an essential and tangible future for everyone.

We've seen slavery reduced by up to 86% in places where we've worked.

But we don’t stop there. Beyond slavery, IJM and our partners protect people in poverty from violence. We collaborate with local authorities to build communities where all people can expect to be safe and protected.

Here's a closer look at IJM

We Love Data: We rigorously study our work and the problem of violence to make sure what we do is highly effective and that we deliver robust results. Check out our Research and Data page to read our latest studies.

We're From All Over: Approximately 95% of IJM’s staff around the world are nationals of the country in which they work - from Guatemala to Uganda to Philippines.

We're All About Partnership: Working in partnership with local governments and law enforcement creates systemic change and protects millions from being exploited in the first place.

What are others saying? Highlighted as one of 10 non-profits “making a difference” by World Report, IJM’s effective model has been recognised by the World Economic Forum and leaders around the globe, as well as featured by Forbes, Foreign Affairs, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Phnom Penh Post, The Times of India, The Independent and Huffington Post UK, among many other outlets.

IJM in the UK

IJM UK is part of IJM’s global justice movement working to end slavery in our lifetime and protect people in poverty from violence. Founded in 2006, IJM UK utilises our global expertise and experience to engage UK government, businesses, churches and activists in the fight to stop slavery and violence, both globally and locally.

Meet the IJM UK Leadership Team

David Westlake

Chief Executive Officer

Jennifer Heys

Chief Operating Officer

Molly Hodson

Chief Marketing and Public Engagement Officer

Andrew Bevan

Chief Advocacy and Impact Officer

Esther Swaffield

Chief Partnerships Officer

Meet the UK Board

Melanie Lane

Chair Person

Raj Parker

Martin Greenslade

Treasurer

Anita Budu

Trustee

Jo Rice

Christina Kumar

Trustee

Andy Griffiths

Meet the Founder of IJM

Gary Haugen

IJM’s founder Gary Haugen was a human rights lawyer working for the U.S. Department of Justice when the UN asked him to lead its investigation of the Rwandan genocide.

As Gary dug through mass graves and massacre sites, he remembers being struck by the terrible truth: the Rwandans who had perished in the violence “did not need someone to bring them a sermon, or food, or a doctor, or a teacher, or a microloan. They needed someone to restrain the hand with the machete, and nothing else would do.”

Watch Gary's TED talk

Compelled by the urgent needs he saw and inspired by his faith, Gary envisioned a new kind of human rights organisation: a group that would leverage the skills of criminal justice professionals to protect the poor from violent oppression.

Gary left his job and launched International Justice Mission in 1997. He and a small team took on cases of desperate violence where impoverished victims could not depend on their justice systems to defend them.

Watch Gary's Ted Talk

They met with obstacles and challenges. They faced disbelief that broken public justice systems could ever protect poor children, women and men. But slowly, the team saw their vision begin to take hold: rapists went to jail for assaulting impoverished children; families were freed from generations of slavery; young girls were rescued from the traffickers who sold them for sex.

Today, we've seen entire communities transformed.