Donna M. Hughes (b. 1954) is an American academic and feminist scholar known for her work in women's studies, particularly in the areas of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and sexual enslavement. She is Professor Emeritus and was the Eleanor M. and Oscar M. Carlson Endowed Chair in Women's Studies at the University of Rhode Island. Hughes earned her Ph.D. in genetics from Pennsylvania State University in 1990 but transitioned to women's studies, driven by her passion for addressing violence and exploitation against women. A self-described radical feminist, Hughes' concern and emphasis on protecting women has made her the target of both the political Left and Right.
Hughes has conducted extensive research on human trafficking, focusing on the sexual exploitation of women and girls in countries around the world, including the United States, Russia, Ukraine, and Europe. Since the early 2000s she has focused on the role of the internet in facilitating trafficking and exploitation, as well as women's rights in the Islamic world. She has advocated for abolishing prostitution and has played a critical role in legislative efforts, such as the campaign to end decriminalized indoor prostitution in Rhode Island.
Her accolades include the Alice Paul Award for Women Who Have Worked to Confront Men's Violence Against Women, the Josephine Butler Award, and the University of Rhode Island Research Award. Hughes is the founder and editor-in-chief of
In addition to her academic contributions, Hughes has been involved in activism including co-founding organizations like Citizens Against Trafficking. Donna M. Hughes remains a leading voice in the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Now retired, Hughes lives in Wakefield, Rhode Island with her husband. She is a survivor of ovarian cancer.
This collection consists of the personal and professional papers of Donna M. Hughes. She is Professor Emeritus and was the Eleanor M. and Oscar M. Carlson Endowed Chair in Women's Studies at the University of Rhode Island. Throughout her career, Hughes worked closely with women survivors of violence and sexual exploitation where her research centered the experiences of women and girls, which was a pioneering approach in the field. Many consider Hughes to be the founder of the academic study of sex trafficking. Materials in the collection document Hughes' academic career, research, writing, and advocacy work and is composed of dossiers, legal files, teacher evaluations, personal and professional correspondence, handwritten notes, conference materials, research articles, and writing drafts, dating from 1971-2024.
Series 1, BIOGRAPHICAL, 1977– 2021, includes awards, dossier materials, and personal and professional correspondence. Of particular interest are Hughes' expired passports, travel related documents, and business cards from her contacts and colleagues. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.
Series 2, CORRESPONDENCE, 1987 – 2024, includes personal and professional correspondence. Hughes maintained professional connections with both individuals and organizations including Joanne Giannini, MiraMed Institute, National Institute of Justice, National Women's Studies Association (NWSA), Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders (SAGE), the Task Force on Science and Technology, and the United States Department of Justice. Her correspondence spans various countries including Iran, Norway, Ukraine, Israel, France, and Russia. Correspondence also appears throughout the collection as it directly relates to specific series. This series is arranged chronologically and then alphabetically by sender, recipient, or subject.
Series 3, ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, 1984 – 2022, includes course and curriculum development materials, grant applications and proposals, meeting notes and agendas, and travel expenses from various institutions including University of Bradford, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Rhode Island. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.
Series 4, ADVOCACY, 1986 – 2020, includes correspondence, meeting agendas, reports, handwritten notes, and annotated drafts of reports and agendas. Hughes advocated with and for various organizations and institutions outside of her academic career including the Angel Coalition, Citizens Against Trafficking, Council of Europe, Polaris Project, MiraMed Institute, and The Salvation Army. "Various institutions" indicates a collaboration between more than one institution or organization on a particular project or agenda. These various institutions are often identifiable through the related correspondence. Original folder titles are written in quotations. The processor created all other folder titles. This series is arranged alphabetically by the organization's or institution's name.
Series 5, TEACHING, 1977 – 2020, includes syllabi, handwritten notes, course outlines, and annotated readings primarily from University of Bradford, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Rhode Island. Courses include "Human Genetics," "Human Trafficking and Slavery," "Feminist Epistemology and Research, Women's Studies, Technology and Management," "Sex Trafficking," "Sexual Victimization," and "Women and Human Rights Policy." This series is arranged alphabetically by course designation, code, and title.
Series 6, CONFERENCES, 1982 – 2023, includes programs, handwritten notes, correspondence, papers presented by Hughes and other participants, and related clippings and pamphlets. Hughes traveled extensively for conferences including to France, Austria, Czech Republic, Spain, England, Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, and Canada. Conference titles include "The Sexual Liberals and the Attack on Feminism," "An International Conference Violence, Abuse, and Women's Citizenship," "Meeting of Experts on Trafficking of Women and Children for Sexual Exploitation in the Americas," and "Legal and Institutional Mechanisms for Combating Trafficking in Women." This series is arranged chronologically.
Series 7, WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS, 1997 – 2019, includes handwritten notes, correspondence, agendas, and readings from workshops attended or led by Hughes. Workshops include "Project Harmony Training Program to Combat Trafficking of Women for Ukraine," "The Future of the Anti-Trafficking Movement Working Meeting," and "Advancing the Abolitionist Vision Briefing and Strategy Discussions on Prostitution." Workshops were hosted in various countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, and Russia. This series is arranged alphabetically by workshop or training title.
Series 8, WRITINGS AND RELATED, 1984 – 2025, includes handwritten notes, correspondence, annotated drafts, and related research. Talks include lectures or presentations given at conferences by Hughes and may include presentation transparencies containing pornographic images. Titles include "Combating Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking Online: Technology and Policy," Comprehensive Strategy for Combating Sex Trafficking, Making the Harm Visible Anthology, and "The 'Natasha' Trade: The Transnational Shadow Market of Trafficking in Women." This series is arranged alphabetically by writing format then by title.
Series 9, RESEARCH, 1971 – 2022, includes handwritten notes, annotated readings, correspondence, articles, clippings, and information packets. Hughes maintained professional connections with both individuals and organizations through correspondence and listservs that are relevant to her research and source collecting. Topics include sexual exploitation on the internet, comfort women, pornography, prostitution, and research related to the article "Welcome to the rape camp: Sexual exploitation and the Internet in Cambodia" written by Hughes. Original folder titles are written in quotations. The processor created all other folder titles. This series is arranged alphabetically by topic.
Series 10, PRINT MATERIALS, 1975 – 2017, includes booklets, flyers, newsletters, guides, manuals, magazines, and reports. Titles include "Crime, Criminal Justice and Criminology in Post-Soviet Ukraine," "For Organisations Working with Women in Prostitution: A Good Practice Guide," and "Surviorship: A Forum on Survival of Natural Abuse, Torture, and Mind Control." This series is arranged alphabetically by record type then by title.
Series 11, AUDIO-VISUAL RECORDS, 2002 – 2006, contains CDs and VHS tapes. Titles include "Bucharest Express the Movie," "Human Rights Report on Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children," and "Chemical Human Experimentation British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Newsnight." This series is arranged alphabetically by record type then by title on the carrier.
Series 12, RESTRICTED, 2000 – 2015, contains one folder of correspondence. This series is closed until January 1, 2050, after which point the materials will open without restriction.
Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Donna M. Hughes papers, MS.2022.013, Box [#], Folder [#], Pembroke Center Archives, John Hay Library, Brown University.
This collection is arranged into 12 series.
There are no restrictions on access for analog materials, except for Series 12, RESTRICTED is restricted until January 1, 2050, after which point the materials will open without restriction. The collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested. Advance notice is required to view born-digital records. Born-digital materials in this collection may not have been reformatted yet. Researchers may request access to copies by contacting the John Hay Library with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed to hay@brown.edu.
Gift of Donna M. Hughes beginning in 2022.