Eight Stories of Ending Human Trafficking

How USAID-supported community leaders are at the forefront of this global human rights challenge

In a photo zone event commemorating World Day Against Human Trafficking at the Center Park in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, organizers engaged park visitors with a quiz and informational cardboard cutouts to educate them about human trafficking. USAID’s Safe Migration Activity works with national and international partners as well as the Government of Uzbekistan, civil society, and private organizations to raise awareness about human trafficking and ways to prevent it. / Gennadiy Nesterenko, Winrock International

For an estimated 25 million adults and children worldwide who have been trafficked for labor or sex, expectations for new opportunities can quickly turn to despair and worse yet, loss of dignity and basic human rights.

Facing limited opportunities in their native countries, these individuals often find themselves stripped of passports and other identity documents when they venture abroad. What comes next is forced labor, illegal confinement, physical, mental, and sexual abuse, gender-based violence, and torture.

Human trafficking is the second largest criminal industry globally and 70% of identified victims are women and girls.

These horrific practices undermine the rule of law, enable corruption, exacerbate gender inequality, and threaten global security.

Nimali Asiya Rodrigo is a founding director of the Development Initiative of West Africa and the National Programmes Coordinator for the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria. She has assisted in the establishment of several educational, counter extremism, safe spaces, and peace building initiatives. / Development Initiative of West Africa

USAID is committed to fighting this worldwide human rights challenge, including more effective enforcement of anti-trafficking laws that protect and provide justice for survivors.

Below are eight stories of community leaders working to prevent trafficking and give hope to survivors.

Serving with the Dominican National Police for over 34 years, Colonel Francia Hernández has been instrumental in increasing police training curriculum for over 200 law enforcement professionals in the Dominican Republic, through offering courses in human trafficking and migrant smuggling. / El Nuevo Diario

1. Enhancing Policy Training

Serving with the Dominican National Police for over 34 years, Colonel Francia Hernández has been instrumental in enhancing police training curriculum to over 200 law enforcement professionals by offering courses in human trafficking and migrant smuggling. As a USAID-supported innovative leader, the colonel has improved investigative techniques and accountability, and built up the capabilities of teams under her command — all leading to improved citizen security.

Throughout his long career in law enforcement, Narimon Rakhimov, Executive Secretary of the National Commission on C-TIP and Forced Labor of the Republic of Uzbekistan, has initiated and supported training on identification, referral, and prosecution of trafficking in persons cases. / Azizbek Nasretdinov

2. Increasing the Identification and Prosecution of Cases

Throughout his long career in law enforcement, Narimon Rakhimov has initiated and supported training on identification, referral, and prosecution of trafficking in persons cases, which has benefited 460 specialists and non-governmental organization activists from all regions of Uzbekistan. Supported by USAID, the Trafficking in Persons Commission, under Narimon’s leadership, launched an online platform for victims to report their cases and receive support. He also assisted the development of a government-run database for tracking cases.

Since assuming the position of Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Combating Trafficking in Persons and Forced Labor in 2020, Narimon has focused on reforms and strengthening prosecution of trafficking cases. In 2021, his team identified 200 victims of trafficking, and prosecutions increased by 50% compared to the previous period.

In the Kyrgyz Republic, Police Colonel Marlis Dzhumabzev, the head of the Department of the Main Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Interior Ministry, says the main purpose of his USAID-supported work is to protect the constitutional rights of Kyrgyz citizens who may find themselves in vulnerable situations. / Sultan Khudaibergenov

3. Establishing Innovative Approaches

In the Kyrgyz Republic, Marlis Dzhumabzev, the head of the Department of the Main Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Interior Ministry, offers new approaches in the fight against human trafficking. This includes training more than 1,000 representatives from internal affairs bodies, as well as border guards, customs officers, lawyers, judges, prosecutors, non-governmental organizations, and local authorities to correctly identify and work with victims, utilizing a gender-sensitive approach.

Marlis is also the co-author of the 2019 National Referral Mechanism for Victims of Human Trafficking. Under his leadership, an interagency working group was established to standardize operating procedures to combat trafficking. He says that the main purpose of his USAID-supported work is to protect the constitutional rights of Kyrgyz citizens who find themselves in difficult life situations.

Alexander Mukha presents the practical experience of a C-TIP non-governmental organization at a trilateral meeting of Central Asian government counterparts. / Sultan Khudaibergenov

4. Assisting Victims of Trafficking and Labor Exploitation

For the last 24 years, Alexander Mukha has been devoted to assisting victims of human trafficking and labor exploitation in his native Kazakhstan. He is head of the USAID-supported public association Meyirim, which has engaged in efforts to combat human trafficking in the Mangistau Region of Kazakhstan since 2004. Over this period, he has assisted more than 3,000 migrants and freed about 120 people from slavery who then returned to their homes in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. Alexander is also working to develop state operating standards and a national referral mechanism, both for victims of human trafficking in Kazakhstan.

As the executive director of the USAID-supported Global Hope Mobilization organization, Caleb Kondwani Thole is supporting the Malawi Government to end human trafficking through raising public awareness, prosecuting cases, and protecting survivors and data management. / Photo courtesy of Caleb Kondwani Thole

5. Raising the Profile of Fighting Human Trafficking

Caleb Kondwani Thole is actively raising the profile of Malawi’s fight against human trafficking. As the executive director of the USAID-supported Global Hope Mobilization organization, he is supporting the Malawi Government to end human trafficking through raising public awareness, prosecuting cases, protecting survivors, and collecting data. As a 2021 alumni of the International Visitors Leadership Program in Combating Trafficking, Caleb is putting his new skills to use to develop a training manual in combating trafficking in persons for front line police officers and civil society organizations.

Nazifa Kamalova, the founder and Director of C-TIP NGO “Istiqlol Avlodi”, member of the National Commission on CTIP and Forced Labor of the Republic of Uzbekistan. / Tokhir Umarov

6. Advocating for Victims’ Protections

At the helm of the USAID-supported center for socio-economic and legal support “Istiqlol Avlodi,” (or the Independence Generation”) Nazifa Kamalova applies her two decades of experience raising awareness about human trafficking, advocating for greater victim’s protections, and aiding migrants and victims in Uzbekistan and destination countries of Uzbek trafficking in persons survivors. Established in 2003, the center has grown from a small local organization to a full member of the National Commission on Countering Trafficking in Persons and Forced Labor.

In 2018, Istiqlol Avlodi, in collaboration with experts, developed more than 11 recommendations to amend the trafficking in persons law in Uzbekistan, five of which were adopted by parliament. This year alone, the organization repatriated 31 trafficking victims and provided assistance for their rehabilitation and reintegration. In 2021, the Uzbek Government awarded Nazifa a “Sog’lom Turmush” (Healthy Living) medal for her contribution to strengthening bilateral cultural and humanitarian ties with foreign countries.

As chairwoman of the USAID-supported “Dap Dessur,” in Turkmenistan, Gozel Rejepovna Muradalieva promotes human trafficking prevention at remote schools in areas bordering Afghanistan. / Winrock

7. Promoting Human Trafficking Prevention in Remote Areas

As chairwoman of the USAID-supported organization “Dap Dessur,” (or “Tradition”) in Turkmenistan, 70-year-old Gozel Rejepovna Muradalieva promotes human trafficking prevention at remote schools bordering Afghanistan. This includes traveling to remote villages to personally conduct awareness-raising sessions for school children. The organization provides social assistance to vulnerable groups and training seminars on safe migration — as well as legal, social, and psychological consultations for victims.

Since 2012, in collaboration with social workers of the USAID-supported Yenme Public Organization located in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Gulya Berdiyevna Chorekiliyeva, led the establishment of shelters for male victims of trafficking and labor exploitation in addition to organizing wide-ranging information campaigns on the issue. / Winrock

8. Improving the Socialization and Integration of Victims into Society

Since 2012, in collaboration with social workers of the Yenme Public Organization located in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Gulya Berdiyevna Chorekiliyeva developed and initiated shelters for male victims of trafficking and labor exploitation, and conducted wide-ranging information campaigns to improve victims’ quality of life, including their socialization and integration back into society. As a member of the Turkmenistan National Working Group on the Implementation of National Action Plan on C-TIP, Yenme takes an active part in USAID Safe Migration in Central Asia activities aimed at reviewing trafficking in persons legislation and updating standard operating procedures and national referral mechanisms.

About the Author

Jessica Benton Cooney is the Senior Communications and Outreach Specialist in USAID’s Center for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance.