WORKING
AGAINST THE TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS IN GHANA
One
of our sisters from the Netherlands, Sr. Catharina van Kaam, MSOLA, came to Ghana
to see what we could do from this side to prevent the trafficking in persons.
She was working with the WRTV (Committee of Women Religious Against Women Traffic),
a group of sisters from 10 different Religious Congregations.
The
trafficking in Persons
Over
the past year at least 700,000, perhaps as many as 4 million men, women, and children
worldwide were bought, Sold, Transported, Held against their will, in slave like
conditions in this modern form of slavery, called Trafficking in Persons. Traffickers
use Threats, Intimidation, and Violence to get victims to engage in sex acts,
to labour under conditions comparable to slavery for traffickers financial gain.
- 78%
of the women, victims of trafficking are, in one way or another, exploited for
sexual reasons.
- More
than 500,000 women from Central and Eastern European countries would have been
brought to Europe in the year 2000.
Women,
children, and men are trafficked into international sex trade for purposes of:
Prostitution, Sex tourism and other commercial sexual services, forced labour
situations: sweatshops, construction sites, agric settings. Other forms of trafficking
are: abduction of children into government forces or rebel armies, sale of women
and children into domestic servitude, use of children as street beggars and camel
jockeys… Victims are moved from home communities to other areas….to
other places within the country or to foreign countries. The victims are isolated,
unable to speak language, unfamiliar culture, with no immigration documents or
fraudulent documents (provided by traffickers). Victims lose support of family
and friends…making them more vulnerable to demands and threats of traffickers.
Victims exposed to range of health concerns including…domestic violence,
alcoholism, psychological problems, HIV/AIDS and STD's. They don't know how to
escape or seek help because Fear of jail or deportation (some treated as criminals).
Some countries
offer no protection for those who come forward to assist in prosecution of traffickers.
Trafficking
in human beings is a multi-national, well organised, underground, kind of a mafia.
Traffic in women is an international trade in full expansion, a source of considerable
profit for traffickers and organised crime. In Europe trafficking of women and
children ranks highest, before drugs and arms traffic.
According
to Interpol, the income of traffickers at present brings in 3 to 4 billion dollars.
(Interpol). The rates received by traffickers varies according to the contract
from: $3,000 to pass from Turkey to Germany, or from Eastern Europe to Ireland;
to $15,000 to come from China to Europe.
The
recruitment
This
is done through advertise in local newspapers……good jobs, high salary,
exciting cities. They use fraudulent employment, travel, modelling and matchmaking
agencies…….to lure unsuspecting young men and women into trafficking
networks.
In
some villages traffickers pose as a "friend of a friend"…..convince
parents that children will be safer and better taken care of by friend or they
will learn a skill or trade. Most of them end up in small shops, farms, domestic
servitude. Traffickers promise to marry daughters. There are also severe cases,
victims are kidnapped or abducted.
Causes
of trafficking
Trafficking
in human beings takes place when there is an economic and political instability,
together with chronic unemployment, widespread poverty, lack of economic opportunities….Then
people are willing to leave their country. Traffickers use promises of high wages,
good working conditions in foreign countries to lure people - who want better
lives for self or family - into their network. Civil unrest, internal armed conflict,
natural disasters………destabilise and displace people and in turn,
increase vulnerability to exploitation and abuse. In some countries social and
cultural practices contribute to trafficking…ex: low status of women and
girls contributes to the growing trafficking industry by not valuing their lives
as highly as those of male population. In other societies the practice of entrusting
poor children to more affluent friends or relatives……..may lead to abusive
and exploitive situations.
These conditions are present in many African countries, where today the trafficking
of children for labour and of women to Europe for sex is quite common.
Some
action taken against traffic in persons
Ghana
is a source, transit, and destination country for internationally trafficked persons.
The majority of victims are children trafficked for labour and domestic help to
and from neighbouring countries, such as Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, and Nigeria. Some
Ghanaian women are trafficked to work as prostitutes in Western Europe, specifically
Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. Ghana is a transit point for a growing trade
in Nigerian women trafficked to Europe for sexual exploitation, and for persons
trafficked from Burkina Faso to Cote d'Ivoire.
Internally,
Ghanaian children are sent from the poorest regions to work in the fishing industry
and for domestic labour in urban areas. Many of these children, sold by their
families to traffickers, suffer physical or sexual abuse, and receive insufficient
food, no wages, and no access to education.
In
October 2001, Ghana hosted a regional meeting of the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS), where a two-year Initial Plan of Action to combat Trafficking
in persons was adopted. As a follow up Ghana established the National Task Force
on Trafficking in March 2002. The government is working on a draft national plan
of action, and is changing the legislation to establish trafficking in persons
as a crime. Due to a shortage of resources and capacity, victim protection and
assistance is done on an ad hoc basis, relying on United Nations' agencies and
NGO's. In terms of prevention, the government supports programs to alleviate child
poverty and to enhance women's education and empowerment. Ghana is one of the
West African countries participating in an internal organisation programme to
stop trafficking in children.
THE
MSOLA WORK AT WARNING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS GOING TO EUROPE…
Many
women and girls dream of going overseas to further studies, to find meaningful
and well remunerated employment, to establish oneself in a business of some kind
or another, to find a marriage partner, to become a cultural dancer, and so on.
This is a legitimate desire, but before embarking on such a venture it is important
to know certain things. "Beautiful promises are often false and not kept.
So beware!
The
MSOLA sisters in Northern Ghana work in connection with the WRTV (Committee of
Women Religious Against Women Traffic), a group of sisters from 10 different Religious
Congregations in the Netherlands working to prevent the trafficking of women.
The sisters in
Ghana help the girls to keep watch before signing contracts and embarking on a
venture to go overseas seeking greener pastures: Take the time to know the names
and addresses of the people recruiting you and the kind of work for which they
are inviting you. Find out if they are legal. Contact the embassy of the country
of your destination. Ask if your future employer exists and if he/she is trustworthy.
Get in touch with groups/institutions in your country dealing with migrant workers.
Get as much information as you can. You may need their help when you return. Be
sure to inform your family and friends of your departure date, destined address,
names of the group of persons you are travelling with."
They
have published panflets, with information and guidelines and they also give talks
at secondary schools to inform the young women on the situation of "promised
paradise" in Europe. "In Northern and Western European countries we
meet many unhappy girls and women from abroad who had been promised a wonderful
future. They believed that in a short time they would get rich. Then they would
return to their own country to help their poor relatives. The reality is often
not so. There is a high level of unemployment there, so it is difficult to get
a good job. For many women the work is underpaid and they end up in prostitution."
"Remember
your passport is yours. If you get into trouble ask for a lawyer. You have a right
to do so. Go to the police, even if your passport has been taken away from you.
In Northern and Western European countries the police want to stop trafficking
in persons. They will help you."
The
MSOLA sisters in North Ghana,
Sr. Constance Gemme
Action Against TIP
