Franco Mulakkal, a Catholic bishop in India, was acquitted in a historic sexual assault trial last week. He had been accused of numerous assaults of a nun over two years. The New York Times wrote that this case is likely the first of its kind and notes that "the church was slow to react" and only responded after several nuns publicly protested and staged a hunger strike in support of the accuser. This case in India has highlighted a largely invisible issue: sexual violence against nuns.

When human trafficking makes the news, law enforcement and policymakers often take center stage as leaders and heroes in anti-trafficking. But, with far less fanfare, one unexpected group has been implementing successful programs to not only prevent trafficking but to rehabilitate survivors: nuns. Talitha Kum, which loosely translates from Aramaic to "young girl, arise," is a Sister-led coalition that has been operating since 2009 and is present in 92 countries. January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Girl Friday asks: What can we learn from nuns around the world?