Image: USA, SI Anti-Trafficking march in Camino Real, SI Conejo (PFR: 34025).

30 July 2014 is  the UN’s first World Day against Trafficking in Persons. Soroptimist International supports the call for greater global awareness and reports on some of the many effective Soroptimist actions across the world to end this despicable crime against humanity.

"I was grateful for the lecture I got at school on
Human Trafficking since it confirmed my suspicion that my parents had
sold my older sister … When the same men came back to my home I knew I
was in danger. My parents helped put me into the car trunk and the men
drove off with me. When the car stopped I kicked and kicked and to my
surprise the trunk opened. I jumped out and ran for my life. I thank the
social workers who helped me and the Soroptimist ladies for visiting my
school and letting me know that such people and things even happen."

The
words of a 14 year old Caribbean girl who received further Soroptimist
help after she escaped, and just one of 7,000 reported beneficiaries of
SI Port of Spain’s comprehensive anti-trafficking programme inTrinidad
and Tobago. This four year campaign has contributed to better community
awareness, a significant increase in cases of reported trafficking and
new anti-trafficking legislation. (PFR: 31729)

 

Image: SI Port of Spain trafficking awareness project (PFR: 31729).

According to
the UN, millions of people, the majority of whom are women and girls are
trafficked into daily exploitation and abuse including sexual slavery,
forced labour, and other illegal actions such as organ extraction. See more facts and figures in this UN leaflet. Alarmingly just 15% of prosecutions worldwide result in convictions.

Soroptimist
International is committed to eradicating trafficking of people as a
fundamental infringement of human rights – see our “Where We Stand” statement on women and human trafficking.

Education gives protection

Education and awareness are key to the prevention of trafficking. Recently GIFT box, a unique project hosted by Soroptimists in the UK and USA has proved highly effective for large-scale awareness raising, reaching half a million people in the UK alone so far.

Image left: Paulette Forbes-Igharo, SI’s lead UN Representative with GIFT box in New York, USA, Jan. 2014. Image right: SI Medway Towns hosts box in Chatham, UK, April 2014.

SI Medway Towns, UK used the GIFT box to inspire community action during a major campaign to tackle a growing trafficking problem in the area. This work also attracted interest from local dignitaries and the media. (PFR: 35143). The club is offering advice to other Soroptimists on how best to use this GIFT box project  created by UN.GIFT (UN Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking) and STOP THE TRAFFIK. To request the use of a GIFT box email: ungiftbox@stopthetraffik.org.

Advocacy

Combating trafficking is a priority for our representatives at many UN centres. SI UN Rep. Dora Vrdlovec, attends key criminal justice meetings in Vienna as Vice-President of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, making sure that SI’s expertise is heard and shared with  trafficking projects all over the world. Paulette Forbes-Igharo, SI’s lead Representative in New York,  is on the UN Committee to Stop Trafficking In Persons and is equally passionate about improving the plight of trafficked people:

“Trafficking is appropriately referred to as modern day slavery. It is a business that generates billions of dollars per year at the expense of others physically, psychologically and emotionally and is therefore morally wrong. Each of us can contribute by developing awareness of the issue, be informed consumers by knowing the sources of labor of the products and services we use, and above all, be willing to take action to combat human trafficking.”

Action

Across the world there are hundreds of successful local, national, and international Soroptimist projects spreading information, supporting victims and improving enforcement, including the Purple Tear Drop Campaign and STOP Trafficking programme.

See photos of Soroptimist International club projects in the slideshow (or view on Flickr)  and read more below. SI club members can login to the Programme Focus Reporting system to read more about these projects (PFR numbers given in brackets).

Supporting survivors, protecting the vulnerable

Japan

• Women’s centre expanded in a region of Nepal with a high level of trafficking cases tocultivate local women leaders through education, skills training and microcredit so they can help other women in surrounding villages. 200 ofthe women trained, went on to open clothing stores, an additional 150 women hold sewing classes in villages, and one has a business in India. SI Oita-Midori, (PFR 35423).
• Funds of $13,000 raised to set up a school for orphan girls in Thailand and provide them with the skills needed to avoid the traps of trafficking through poverty.100 helped so far. SI Kyoto, (PFR: 31694).

Sweden

• 3 year funded education for trafficked girl returned to Romania, SI Hässleholm, (PFR: 31840)

USA

• Thousands of bras collected to support “Free the Girls” organisation which helps women and girls rescued from sex trafficking, SI Kachinas, SI Golden West Region.
• Money raised and opportunities provided for paid workplace internships for trafficking survivors and other funding found for survivors to move from shelters to independent living. SI Vista (PFR: 31375).

India

• Skills workshop conducted by members of SI Bangalore (India) to empower women at the Jeevodaya Ashram centre, who have been rescued from human trafficking and other abusive situations.

Australia

• Fundraising of $1000 to begin setting up a refuge with counselling and vocational services for women and girls rescued from trafficking. SI Kristi van Es to spend a year living in India to establish project partnerships, SI Geelong (PFR: 30731).

Raising awareness

Romania

In a country greatly affected by the trafficking of women into sexual slavery, vigorous campaigning is taking place:

• SI Craiova educated 750 students abouttrafficking.  (PFR: 32216)
• SI Targoviste worked in over 20 schools (PFR: 33936 , 30853 ).
• SI Slatina with Soroptimist Danish Union focused mainly on rural areas to counsel highly vulnerable children, provide links with the police and establish permanent contact with families, (PFR: 30824).

Lithuania

• SI Panevezys targeted schools and women’s prisons to raise awareness, a Soroptimist Project of Excellence in our latest Global Impact Report. (PFR: 26953)

Barbados

• A Purple Teardrop Human Trafficking awareness march was combined with the distribution of information leaflets across the community, SI Barbados (PFR: 30747).

United Kingdom

• Award for outstanding contributions and advocacy on trafficking; Soroptimists Jackie Paling and Pauline Monk.
• Taxi information campaign by 9 UK clubs to increase recognition and reporting of trafficking. Victims are known to be moved aroundin taxis. SI Beckenham (PFR: 28151) targeted 34 companies to inform drivers while other clubs provided stickers with emergency numbers.
•  Postcard campaign aimed at chocolate companies to end child slavery in cocoa industry.12 thousand children estimated to be trafficked in West Africa. SI St Helens, (PFR: 32366).

India

• “Be Aware Beware” experts symposium and activities for students to prevent further increases in trafficking and sexual abuse, SI Chennai, (PFR: 28713).

USA

• 120 bus placards, trolley posters, and a street banner funded to give emergency rescue phone numbers for victims and the public. SI Vista, (PFR: 33429).
• Soroptimists from across the western USA played a significant role in major SWCAT conference on sex trafficking and slavery, Jan. 2014.

Malaysia

This country is on the UN watch list as a transit place for trafficking:

• Talk on strategies for women to avoid trafficking, SI Bangsar, (PFR: 32064)

Australia

• Support for writers on trafficking; book launch and interview, SI Moreton North Inc.

  

 

Increasing enforcement 

United Kingdom

• Detailed analysis and consultation with Scottish government on Human Trafficking Bill, SI Paisley and other clubs, (PFR: 34928).

• Call to Action July 2014 in England and Wales to lobby politicians to support a Modern Slavery Bill.

USA

• Collaborative 7 year project for better laws, further law enforcement training and improved services for rescued victims, SI Vista, (PFR: 33518).

• Experts brought together to review trafficking legislation and gather new ideas so that better laws will get passed, SI Grosse Point, (PFR: 34099).

This Soroptimist support is being recognised by those who need it – the survivors of trafficking. One assisted survivor in the United States, provided with paid internship opportunity, said:

"Without the help of Soroptimists, I am not sure if there would be anyone so ready to help me on my journey to success as they did. I will always be thankful to them and now I have my full time job as an Office Assistant and ready to learn more and more for my new career path. They have given me the real life opportunities I was looking for since I remember."  

Further information

Find out how you can support the first World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

See photos of worldwide Soroptimist anti-trafficking activities.

To request the use of a GIFT box email: ungiftbox@stopthetraffik.org.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: Trafficking information.

 Read a special SoroptiVoice blog for World Day against Trafficking in Persons