Image: SI Midland Chase (UK) Purple Teardrop march against human trafficking in Lichfield
At an event to mark the UK’s national Anti-Slavery Day, Soroptimists Jackie Paling and Pauline Monk have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to the fight against human trafficking. British Home Secretary, Rt Hon Theresa May MP presented them with a Marsh Award, where she also outlined the
provisions of a new Human Trafficking Bill, which includes tougher sanctions for those convicted of human trafficking.
"Although the award has Pauline and my names on it, it
really belongs to all the Soroptimists in the UK (and the Federation) who are
working tirelessly on antislavery issues", said Jackie Paling, SIGBI Federation’s Assistant Programme Director for Violence and Conflict Resolution
.
On Anti-Slavery Day each year, the Human Trafficking Foundation teams up with
the Marsh Christian Trust to recognise individuals who have done exceptional work on modern-day slavery. Both Pauline and Jackie have been extremely active in raising awareness about
human trafficking, in particular through the Purple Teardrop Campaign. They have motivated many Soroptimist clubs to organise events for Anti-Slavery Day throughout the country, launching a ‘Call to Action’ to all UK clubs
encouraging Soroptimists to speak to their MPs about the need to strengthen the UK’s response to trafficking
UK Anti-Slavery Day – 18th October
Anti-Slavery Day provides an opportunity to draw attention to the issue
and aims to put pressure on Government, local authorities, public institutions,
and private and public companies to address the problems arising from human
trafficking.
The Human Trafficking Foundation was established also in 2010 to support and
add value to the work of many charities and agencies already fighting
modern-day slavery in the UK. The vision of the Human
Trafficking Foundation is of a UK which presents a hostile environment for
traffickers, where there is widespread public awareness of the evils and where
better support is offered to those who fall victim. It brings together between 40 and 50
organisations (of which Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland
is one) 4 times a year to identify emerging issues, prioritise areas where
action is needed and agree key messages to be communicated to those with the
power to make a difference.
The
main theme of Anti-Slavery Day this year is “Hidden Slavery in Your
Community”.
More information
SIGBI Anti-Slavery Day activities
UK Human Trafficking Foundation
Image: SI St Helens (UK) members have
also swapped chocolate for stamps, sending 500 postcards to
confectionery company Mondelez to protest against the trafficking of children
in the chocolate industry
Comments are closed.