South Asia: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives
The first video is a collaborative effort by members of the Indian film industry and the UN to promote awareness on the issue of human trafficking in South Asia, specifically. The second video validates the need for the first by revealing the lack of awareness and concern. Some that seem to know about the issue of human trafficking have accepted it to be a flaw of their society. One such person already having accepted that it's an issue to be addressed, but not to be solved anytime soon..."maybe in 100 or 200 years". It is this attitude that plagues much of the world--a belief that we cannot do anything personally, that someone else should and will pick up the responsibility eventually.
Corruption within governmental institutions combined with a lack of education and poverty create the ideal environment for criminals of the trafficking industry. South Asian countries are home to some of the most corrupt policemen and inefficient governments. India, being the world's largest democracy, is incapable of attending to all the people that must be heard. Government officials and policemen are easily bribed. In fact, it would be of little surprise to see these government workers taking part in the crimes. This, of course, is not an isolated situation to South Asia. Nevertheless, government officials have little to fear because their actions would not be judged as one may think. In South Asian countries--particularly in more rural, conservative areas--victims are treated as though they are accomplices to the crimes. Sexual violence seems to bring more dishonor to the victim and the victim's family, instead of to the perpetrator. For this reason, families & communities are less likely to report trafficking crimes or even welcome rescued victims when they return home. These backwards beliefs need to go because rehabilitation efforts will be hindered if victims are rejected by their own society. In the meantime, rehabilitation centers are focused on providing victims with skills that will help them get jobs and prosper as individuals without relying on anyone else. There are good efforts and initiatives being taken that we can learn from (See Link #4 below). The UN has a branch dedicated to fighting human trafficking and is a great resource to learn more from. UNICEF is another organization whose goals coincide with ours. Natural disasters like tsunamis have brought great imbalance to cities and societies, leaving orphaned children to be taken advantage of. This has been witnessed numerous times following the relatively recent Indo-Pak earthquakes and Sri Lankan tsunami, for instance.
Ending human slavery is a daunting task, especially when our natural and societal environments seem to help propagate the crimes. But that is precisely why we have to try. Human trafficking is NOT a well-hidden enterprise. It is a booming business that has managed to flourish in our ignorance. A time has come when underaged children are advertised on Craigslist. "Domestic workers" are brought into America from foreign countries and are exploited. The fact that these transactions can take place online, is highly disturbing. America's criticism of India & Pakistan's governmental policies regarding trafficking has definitely caused an uproar. Aside from upsetting those that are already dedicated to the cause, American criticism has definitely helped open the eyes of many. America plays a crucial role in the world and has a great amount of power in influencing action. By reminding our own government to enforce strict laws in relation to trafficking crimes, the whole world benefits by our example. When America labels countries as more dangerous or at-risk for human trafficking, these countries have much to lose in terms of global respect, tourism, exchange programs, and even their place in the international market. We have a great responsibility that is often underestimated when it is actually the most important.
Interested?
Read Jan Heeswijk's "Combating Trafficking of Women and Children in South Asia," an in-depth analysis of the legal framework in South Asia, as well as contributing factors to slavery and other vulnerabilities within the region.
Recent Updates on Trafficking in India
1 comment:
Human trafficking is an absolutely abominable practice that needs to be stopped.
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