Presentation Child Trafficking

1. Presentation Child Trafficking Joint Monitoring Committee on the Improvement of Quality of Life & Status of Women By Patric Solomons & Debora Mobilyn

2. Historical Background • Trafficking in persons - modern-day slavery! • Pre-dates the modern era. • In Africa trafficking in persons dates back to the slave trade which involved the kidnapping, capture, ill-treatment and transportation of people across the Atlantic to the Americas. • From the 1440s onwards Portugal and Spain imported slaves and established trading posts in Africa. • Arab & African traders trafficked Africans to markets in Arabia, Iran and Asia. • In Southern Africa – Cape Colony, the slave trade resulted in the Dutch ‘importing’ people from Indonesia, Java, Madagascar and other places. • As colonialization expanded so did the trafficking in persons spread to inland territories; Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola, Tanzania, etc. • Trafficking in persons has not always been regarded as illegal by governments. • Earlier trafficking operations were run with direct involvement of governments and corrupt officials.

3. Trafficking in persons • Trafficking in persons is largely the result of unmet demand for cheap and exploitable labour and increase in demand for sexual services from women and children, girls as well as boys. • Children, women and men are trafficked into various exploitative situations, into domestic and international economies • Trafficking in persons is regarded as one of the ‘fastest growing and most lucrative enterprises in the world’. • Criminal networks and syndicates are largely responsible for trafficking in persons. • A large number of individuals and networks of individuals often act as recruiters, agents, transporters, counterfeiters, employers, brothel owners, pimps and intermediaries.

4. South Africa Namibia Botswana Zimbabwe Mosambique Swaziland Lesotho Zambia Kenya Malawi Angola North America Australia South East Asia Western Europe Child Trafficking in South AfricaIs a cross border & in-country phenomenon South Africa is a major destination, transit and place or origin centre.

5. Child Trafficking in South Africa

6. Children are trafficking into the following exploitative activities • Sexual exploitation, includes forcing children into prostitution and using them for the production and distribution of pornography • Domestic labour • Agriculture and farm labour • Sweatshops and factories • Home industries • Begging and hawking • Drug running and selling • Gangs

7. Sample consisted of 19 children Trafficked between 1994 and 1999 They identified a further 36 15 were abductees sexually & physically assaulted, drugged and held captive. Gang raped Some were prostituted and became ”sex workers” All 19 escaped or was rescued by parents or police Arrest and conviction of trafficker and co-accused. Methods of procurement Abduction Giving and receiving of money Girls taken from the street Girls intercepted at Cape Town station Boy members in gang recruit girls at clubs Girls in the gang recruit girls off the street by inviting them to the house and becoming friends with them. Girls recruit their siblings Girl children trafficked into gang for sexual exploitation - A Case Study

8. Human rights abuses experienced by victims of sexual exploitation • Groomed and lured by unsuspecting individuals • Abduction, forced, bribed and threaten • Sold, bought and exchanged • Forced to get hooked on drugs • Abuse, held captive and denied freedom of movement • Sexual abuse, assault, rape, gang rape • Exploitation – provide sexual services • Prostituted and used in pornography • Forced to ‘work’ long hours – like slaves • Denied schooling and protection • Are debt bonded • Forced to commit crime • Held as sex slaves

9. Consequences for children • Severely traumatised • Physical and psychological damage • Hardened and not trusting of any adults and officialdom • Sexual dysfunctional behaviour - promiscuity • Shame and stigmatization • Lack of schooling and education • Poor communication and interpersonal skills • Poor self image and self esteem

10. Victim assistance & support • Identify and rescue • Medical & health needs • Trauma counseling • Psychological support • Family support • Support during investigations • Case preparation & court support • Reintegration into family & community • Repatriation to place of origin • Recovery & healing therapy • Sexual re-orientation education & therapy • Compensation for victims?

11. Girl children are most vulnerable

12. SA Government Obligations • SA Constitution – Sec. 28 Bill of Rights • UN Convention on the Rights of the Child • Optional Protocol on the Rights of the Child • UN Protocol to Prevention, Suppression and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women & Children • The Palermo Protocol

13. Statement of purpose The purposes of this Protocol are: (a)     To prevent and combat trafficking in persons, paying particular attention to women and children; (b)     To protect and assist the victims of such trafficking, with full respect for their human rights; and (c)     To promote cooperation among States Parties in order to meet those objectives.

14. Prevention, cooperation and other measures Article 9 Prevention of trafficking in persons 1. States Parties shall establish comprehensive policies, programmes and other measures: (a) To prevent and combat trafficking in persons; and (b) To protect victims of trafficking in persons, especially women and children, from revictimization. 2. Policies, programmes and other measures established in accordance with this article shall, as appropriate, include cooperation with non-governmental organizations, other relevant organizations and other elements of civil society.

15. Palermo Protocol • Rescue, exit, recovery support, healing therapy and empowerment for victims of trafficking • Court support, advice and debriefings for complainants • Education and training for police, prosecutors, social workers and service providers • Child participation in prevention, awareness raising and lobbying activities • Community intervention strategies • Networking and joint campaigns

16. National Initiatives • Molo launch of research report with Children’s Desk in the Office of the President - 2000 • Made presentations to different government departments and provincial legislatures • National Task Team – NPA • Issue Paper – SA Law Reform Commission • SAPS Human Trafficking Desk • Law Reform Process – Sexual Offences Bill, Children’ s, Bill, etc. • Ratified Anti-Trafficking protocol • Victim Empowerment – Victims Charter – Dept. Social Development. • Provincial and local governments taking various initiatives • International NGO and UN Agencies – intervention and prevention • EU Assistance Programme – Human Trafficking • South African NGO’s

17. Key Challenges • Legislation to prohibit the trafficking in persons Implement international protocols & Instruments • Effective sanctions against traffickers • Specialised police units • Policies and programmes for Victim support and repatriation • Restorative justice policies • Assistance, Healing & Recovery of victims of trafficking • Monitoring & Evaluation mechanisms • Research and monitoring • Supply and demand factors

18. Child Participation 12 Dec – Global Action against Child Trafficking