Advocacy is Life or Death
By Angelique Todd
An advocate loses her job for challenging injustice, revealing how broken systems fail survivors who need help the most.
Advocacy is Life or Death follows an advocate for young women and girls experiencing sexual violence and trauma who finds herself navigating a bureaucratic system that refuses to question the status quo. This leads to her losing her job, which has a devastating effect on clients.
The film speaks to the vision for a system that recognizes the inherent dignity of women and girls who have experienced sexual violence, prioritizes their healing, and dismantles the systemic barriers that perpetuate their victimization.
Alongside the film, this campaign calls for urgent, trauma-informed policy changes, including ending the detention of trafficking survivors and children who have experienced abuse, and a shift to survivor-led solutions.
About the Issue
In Alabama and across the U.S., girls, especially Black girls, who experience abuse, sexual assault, or trafficking are often misidentified as offenders rather than treated as victims. This “criminalization of survival” is reinforced by systemic biases such as adultification, in which Black girls are perceived as older and less innocent than their peers.
62% percent of trafficking survivors have been cited, detained, or arrested by police. For most of them (81%), this contact with law enforcement happened while they were still actively being trafficked. Among those arrested while being trafficked, 71% ended up with criminal records stemming from that initial citation, detention, or arrest. As a result, 90% of trafficking survivors with an arrest history claim that all or part of their criminal record is tied to their trafficking experience.*
Instead of receiving protection and trauma-informed support, many of these girls are incarcerated, placed on probation, or otherwise punished for behaviors stemming from their victimization. This issue calls for legislative and policy reforms that protect girls in crisis, ensure survivor-led leadership, and train justice system actors in trauma-informed care.
Meet the Filmmaker
Angelique Todd is a dynamic entrepreneur and passionate advocate for social and economic empowerment. As the owner of Next Level Business Services and Solutions, she leads a consulting firm dedicated to helping individuals and small businesses build strong foundations through strategic planning, business coaching, and credit repair services. With a focus on sustainability and financial literacy, Angelique equips her clients with the tools to grow and thrive in today’s competitive market.
In addition to her business leadership, Angelique is the Founder of WE WIN Organization, a nonprofit committed to empowering socially, economically, and justice-impacted women. Through mentorship, outreach, and intensive case management, WE WIN fosters resilience, self-sufficiency, and lasting change for women striving to reclaim their lives.
With a unique blend of business acumen and community advocacy, Angelique is driven by a mission to uplift, educate, and inspire transformation at every level.