DES MOINES, IOWA (July 17, 2023) — Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT) initiative was nationally recognized this week by the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) as one of three finalists for the IDEAS Award. Established in 2011, the NASS IDEAS (Innovation, Dedication, Excellence and Achievement in Service) Award recognizes significant state contributions to the mission of NASS.
Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking is an initiative focused on raising awareness about human trafficking within the state. IBAT asks its members to “learn something” and “do something.” Members are provided with resources to “learn something” about human trafficking and are asked to “do something” to empower their employees and customers to help prevent and stop this crime.
“It is an honor to be nationally recognized as a finalist for this award, but it is our real hope that more awareness helps eliminate this horrific crime,” said Sec Pate. “Collaboration is key in combatting trafficking, and I am pleased that more than ten states have expressed an interest in replicating IBAT in their state. Together, we have the ability to not only raise awareness about human trafficking, but also work to end to end it.”
Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking was publicly launched in January 2021 and quickly reached 250 members. Today, IBAT has reached nearly 700 businesses and more than 325,000 employees across the state of Iowa and continues to grow.
IBAT is an extension of Iowa Safe at Home, an address confidentiality program for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, stalking, assault, and human trafficking.
Other states have already followed with launches of similar programs, including Mississippi and Tennessee.
For more information on the Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking program and how businesses can sign up, visit IBAT.Iowa.gov.
