Post #7
According to Shared Hope, who attended an event hosted by the Organization of American States about trafficking, sex trafficking occurs in most countries in South America. However, instead of panicking, “many efforts are underway to help the region move from panicking to planning, and from planning to implementation.” The unfortunate truth is that many, women especially, face the same story. Shared Hope also states that, “with little education and no opportunity, coupled against the prevalence of sexual discrimination, women and girls are the most vulnerable demographic in South America.”
Argentina has been moving from this panic stage to planning and implementation since 2017. According to Shared Hope the implemented the following three policies and are seeing positive results:
- Identification of sexual exploitation and victims
- State-provided legal representation
- Preventing victims from being considered criminals
These policies are allowing victims to remain so, instead of being blamed and criminalized. Sex trafficking is very prevalent and difficult to find solutions for because it goes outside the borders of people’s own countries. South American countries need to find a way to combat sex trafficking together. Below, CNN covered sex trafficking in Colombia, telling the story of two women, whose stories are not unique due to how massive of an issue sex trafficking is.
Suriname is also affected by sex trafficking. Currently, Suriname is “a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking.” The country is listed as a Tier 2 Watch List by the U.S. Department of State because it does not completely meet the minimum standards that are set for the elimination of trafficking. Shelters have been established for trafficking victims and convictions are increasing, however, “the number of investigations, prosecutions, and victims identified decreased and courts did not impose sufficiently stringent sentences on convicted traffickers.”
Dr. Sarah E. Mendelson, Senior Adviser and Director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Human Rights Initiative, wrote an article called “Born Free.” It addressed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that came into effect in 2016. According to this article, the SDGs give way to funding the control of sex trafficking that was not possible under the previous Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The MDGs focused on health, education, and agriculture, which these sectors received more aid due to them being in the MDGs, however, they did now have any clauses to include an anti-trafficking component.
According to Mendelson’s article, the new SDGs indirectly address human trafficking. This is outlined in the following excerpt about the Outcome Document arguing for a way to combat human trafficking with the SDGs:
Under proposed goal five — “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” — the drafters call for the end of trafficking of women and girls. Under proposed goal eight — “Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all” — the document urges the end of the trafficking of children, including child soldiers, by 2025. Finally, under proposed goal 16 — “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels” — the Outcome Document references bringing the trafficking of children to an end
The SDGs also have a great amount of sub-goals that do not explicitly have anything to do with trafficking but they could help. Three key examples include “provid[ing] legal identity for all including birth registration,” promoting “sustainable tourism,” and “sustainable transport systems . . . with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities . . .”
Mendelson also states that both tourism and transportation industries have been important in combating trafficking. Employees in these industries can be trained and educated to recognize human trafficking. People need to be more conscious about human trafficking and funding needs to be allocated in order to continue to combat trafficking.
