Emma Skjonsby Manousaridis

Brandishing kindness, tea, candles, and whatever else available, Ms. Skjonsby and her team would approach Greek brothels in order to help victims.

Emma Skjonsby began working with Nea Zoi, which means new life, in 1999. From then until 2012, she was the director of that organization, which is affiliated with International Teams. During that time, she worked relentlessly to provide whatever her and her dedicated team of volunteers and staff could provide to women and girls in sex trafficking situations in Greece. Many of the girls were from Eastern Europe, and some from Nigeria or other African countries. Her team has also networked extensively with regional partners and government officials. They have developed relationships with the Greek government, law enforcement officials, United States Embassy personnel, and other NGOs or social organizations to provide services and to build awareness about the issue of sex trafficking in Greece. In 2008, she was honored as a "TIP Report Hero Acting to End Modern Slavery" in recognition of her efforts to combat human trafficking.

In 2014, Greece was listed as a Tier 2 country. It is a transit, destination, and, rarely, a source country for both forced labor and sex trafficking. While the country continues to pass appropriate legislation, it does not provide the victim support and services that are necessary.