Rosa Cendón

Rosa Cendón has dedicated her career to combating human trafficking in Spain, leading SICARcat for 20 years to provide comprehensive support to survivors and shaping regional anti-trafficking policies.

Rosa Cendón has devoted her life to assisting victims, raising awareness, and combating human trafficking in Spain.  As a social worker and educator, Cendón has led advocacy and institutional relations for SICARcat, the largest anti-trafficking NGO in the Catalonia region, for 20 years.  SICARcat offers assistance to women and children survivors of trafficking by providing them with shelter and legal, psychological, medical, and social support.  Since 2022, Cendón has served as an expert advisor for combating human trafficking and gender-based violence at the Catalonia regional Ministry of Equality and Feminism.  She continues to promote change by raising awareness of human trafficking and designing public policy.

Cendón’s victim centered approach has influenced regional and national anti trafficking and victim protection policies.  She contributed to designing the regional Catalonian and Barcelona city protocols for victim protection.  Under her leadership, SICARcat developed tools for the detection and intervention of human trafficking cases working closely with law enforcement.  She regularly conducts specialized training for key actors.

During the height of the European migration crisis, Cendón helped found the ASIL.CAT network of human rights NGOs that coordinated shelter, protection, and services for the influx of refugees.  She worked to ensure that anti-trafficking efforts were included in the asylum reception system.  As a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Spain has received over 200,000 Ukrainian refugees and Cendón has been at the forefront in providing support to the refugees arriving to Barcelona.