Mixi Cruz

Mexico City, Mexico

My name is Mixi Cruz, and I am a survivor of sexual exploitation from Mexico. I was 14 years old when my mother died. After spending time living on the streets, I was taken in by my stepsister. What I believed was an opportunity to find safety became the beginning of my exploitation, as she took advantage of my vulnerability for her own benefit.

For two years, I was exploited through newspaper advertisements. My life and my identity were reduced to something that could be promoted and traded. Long before digital platforms became a tool used for exploitation, women and children were already being exploited through different forms of advertising. Today, the methods have changed, but the demand that sustains exploitation remains.

My escape began when I found the courage to ask for help during a stay at a hotel in Mexico City. That moment changed the direction of my life. Afterward, I entered a specialized shelter for survivors, where I began my healing journey and understood that what happened to me was not my fault, but the result of exploitation and the actions of those who benefited from my vulnerability.

Today, I am a survivor leader, public speaker, and advocate working to prevent human trafficking, sexual exploitation, child sexual abuse, and violence against women and children. As an abolitionist feminist, I support the Equality Model because my lived experience has shown me that exploitation is sustained by demand. In Mexico, where this model has not yet been adopted, I am committed to raising survivor voices and contributing to conversations that promote an approach focused on protection, prevention, and accountability.

I believe survivors deserve more than survival. We deserve the opportunity to heal, to learn, to lead, and to participate in shaping the decisions and policies that affect our lives. Survivors are not only people who have experienced exploitation—we are also leaders, advocates, and part of the solution.

If my story helps even one person recognize exploitation, seek support, or understand that another future is possible, then sharing my story is worthwhile. I believe meaningful change begins when survivors are heard, believed, and empowered to create a different future.