PDF Format: Lesson series 15: Trafficking in Persons

Summary

Trafficking in persons occurs where human rights violations prevail, and leads to further personal and social violations which can have far-reaching consequences for the lives of victims. In many countries it is a crime, although inadequately or not at all prosecuted.

Introduction

This is a series of two lessons, based on the publication Human Rights and Trafficking in Persons : A Handbook, published by the Global Alliance against Trafficking in Women (GAATW), Bangkok 2001, henceforth called “the Handbook”, for the production of which AHRC was one of the advisors.

Trafficking in persons is in itself a many faceted phenomenon. To begin with, trafficking occurs in situations where many basic human rights deprivations are prevalent. Many more physical and psychological violations are committed against the victims by traffickers which often have far-reaching consequences and which affect the whole further lives of the victims. Even after a person has escaped from traffickers she requires protection against eventual reprisals from the traffickers, as well as measures which ensure that the authorities responsible for addressing the different aspects of the problem do not further jeopardize her rights as she seeks redress and tries to put her life together again.

Taking action against trafficking means taking action to defend and promote the basic economic and civil rights of women, men and children, as well as action to reform and improve the government and legal institutions and systems which should protect and guarantee access to and enjoyment of these rights by all, without any form of discrimination.