Vanguard: Soccer's Lost Boy

In light of the recent World Cup in South Africa, Vanguard, the television documentary series, recently aired an episode focusing on the dirty underground of the soccer world. Boys from poverty-stricken regions of West Africa are being trafficked by the thousands by sports agents who promise to fulfill the young boys’ hopes that their soccer skills will lead to international stardom through European soccer leagues. However, the vast majority of boys who are taken from their countries by agents are not signed to professional teams. Instead, they are abandoned by their agents in places like France and Morocco. With very few options available, some even turn to prostitution as a means of survival.

VANGUARD:

Although FIFA and other soccer organizations have done very little to halt this trend, Jean Claude Mbvoumin, a former professional soccer player, founded an organization called Foot Solidaire which attempts to raise awareness about the issue and end the exploitation of thousands of young footballers across the globe.

Countdown to the 2010 World Cup

As the 2010 World Cup games quickly approach, human traffickers and abolitionists alike are gearing up for a busy month. According to one estimate, at least 373,000 football fans are expected to be drawn to the events in South Africa. Although it is hard to make an accurate estimate of the number of sex workers that will also be present, it is clear that they are already arriving in force and their numbers undoubtedly include those who will be working against their will.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, local hotel employees report seeing an influx of prostitutes from many different countries, from as far away as China, Pakistan, India, Hong Kong, and Venezuela, although the primary source country for incoming sex workers appears to be Zimbabwe. According to the Monitor, cross-border bus drivers have reported that most of their passengers in April were women, which is unusual because normally their passengers primarily consist of men traveling to South Africa for work.

Despite these reports from locals, an anonymous senior Home Affairs official told the Monitor that "We do not have evidence of [prostitutes entering the country], but will always make sure that no illegals, particularly human traffickers, enter the country through our ports." One has to wonder about the diligence of the government, if it truly does "not have evidence" of entering prostitutes, while hotels and bus drivers report that entering prostitutes have been comprising a majority of their clientele.

Meanwhile, charity and international organizations have been working to spread awareness about human trafficking during the games. One international network of Catholic women's orders has been running an awareness campaign called "2010 Should Be About the Game," targeting attendees, potential victims, and the general public.

The International Organization for Migration launched an initiative this week to support organizations responding to human trafficking during the World Cup, which will be funded by the U.S. Department of State. The initiative will primarily fund activities raising awareness, including radio dramas, theater, road shows, soccer matches, and school trainings.

Even FIFA has taken unusual steps toward assisting South Africa's police force, holding a security meeting at its headquarters with international security representatives, and funding additional police officers from all participating nations to assist the South African police force during the games. Although there is no indication the assistance is directed toward addressing the trafficking problem, hopefully it will free up more of the South African police to put more efforts towards assisting the games' most vulnerable and unwilling participants.

Image source: The Catholic Herald

'Little Treasures' Game Lifts Veil on Human Trafficking

From Saatchi & Saatchi:

Cape Town - The Salvation Army, together with Saatchi & Saatchi Cape Town, has set out to lift the veil on child trafficking with an innovative outdoor campaign to inform the unknowing South African public about the severity of human trafficking, the fastest growing criminal industry in the world.

1.2 million children are trafficked each year and it's estimated that these numbers will rise dramatically in 2010. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) contends that globally human trafficking has an annual turnover of US$32 billion, making it the third most lucrative criminal activity after the narcotics and weapons trades, although in contrast to these other criminal activities, the penalties for human trafficking in most countries are much less severe, or non-existent.

Major Marieke Venter of The Salvation Army says, "Modern day slavery 'works' and thrives because of its great profitability. This industry is continuously growing because of the high demand, ease of supply and lack of awareness. That coupled with the absence of effective laws will allow this industry to continue without much resistance."

Ian Young, Managing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Cape Town says, "We decided that an unusual approach would work in generating the much needed awareness around this issue," he adds. "We took an ordinary toy crane machine, gave it a sinister twist and created a new game called 'Little Treasures'."

He says that the machine was filled with cute dolls, wrapped in seemingly innocuous illustrations and then placed in a popular shopping mall on a busy morning. "People of all ages were instantly drawn to the innocent looking game and the treasures within. After playing and snatching a prize, the truth was revealed via a message attached, that each doll represented a child lost to the business of human trafficking."

He stresses that the media in South Africa is the most powerful medium of communication to the diverse cultural groups in SA. "With this in mind, this week we launch the mechanism of this campaign to the top media houses in South Africa to create the awareness right at the core of communication."

"We are excited that the media are willing to get involved in this campaign and trust that they will give this issue the presence it deserves," he adds.

Read the full article here.

This is interesting. I'm not familiar with what outreach and awareness activities would resonate with the South African audience, but the tactic is creative. Since games like that obviously target children, I'm not sure if children would understand the very deep and upsetting message attached to their dolls. Although hopefully parents could use it as a stepping point to either learn more themselves or start a conversation with their children about protecting themselves. My immediate reaction is conflicting - I'd be interested to see if the Salvation Army or Saatchi & Saatchi plan to do some sort of evaluation after they're done with this effort to see how effective it was.

South Africa Introduces Human Trafficking Bill Before 2010 World Cup

South African Justice Minister Jeff Radebe announced Tuesday that South Africa is planning to fast track a newly introduced anti-human trafficking bill before the World Cup, which starts in June.

The Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill creates new offenses, including trafficking in persons, debt bondage, possessing or destroying the travel documents of trafficking victims, using the services of trafficking victims, and facilitating human trafficking. Traffickers could face heavy fines or life imprisonment.

The bill will give courts jurisdiction over cases involving offenses committed outside of the country, as well as require internet service providers to report internet addresses suspected of containing information that facilitates or promotes human trafficking. The law also provides multiple protections for victims, including prohibiting prosecution of trafficking victims.

Radebe emphasized that the bill is not motivated by the World Cup and has "been a work in progress since 2003," but noted that 2010 will present its unique challenges because of the possibility of increased trafficking activity during the World Cup.

South Africa to Conduct 16-Day Anti-Human Trafficking Campaign

South Africa's Crime Line has announced that human trafficking will be the focus of a 16 Days of Activism Against Abuse of Women and Children campaign. Crime Line is an anonymous SMS tip-off service that was launched in 2007 and allows citizens to text police regarding suspected crime. This year's campaign theme is "Don't Look Away, Act Against Abuse," and will last from November 25 until December 10. The theme was created at least partially in response to an anticipated increase in human trafficking during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in South Africa. The spokesman for Crime Line, Yusuf Abramjee, stated that "It's time to break our silence. If you have any information on human trafficking, send your tip-off to Crime Line now to [sms line] 32211 or go to www.crimeline.co.za and the police will act."

South Africa: Bill to Allow for Prosecution of All Forms of Human Trafficking

From allAfrica.com:

By Gabi Khumalo
August 15, 2008

Legislation is being formulated that will allow for the prosecution of all forms of human trafficking.

"The draft Bill (the Trafficking in Persons Bill) allows for all forms of human trafficking to be prosecuted including labour exploitation and not only sexual exploitation," said National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA's) Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit, National Co-ordinator, Malebo Kotu-Rammopo.

She said that in the absence of specific legislation criminalising the offence, the NPA has encountered unique problems in ensuring an adequate response to the occurrences of this phenomenon.

"Prosecutions have proceeded on an ad hoc basis overtly demonstrable to the facts such as kidnapping, indecent assault and rape, which do not individually attract as heavy sentences as a specific trafficking in persons would impose," Ms Malebo Kotu-Rammopo said.

The absence of legislation also limits prosecutors to deal with only the perpetrator directly linked to the offences, while excluding the perpetrators behind the scenes, which is often an organised crime activity.

Giving an update on the country's strategy to counter human trafficking, Ms Kotu-Rammopo said last year the country had signed and ratified the United Nations Convention Against Translational Organised Crime and the Parlemo Protocol.

The protocol aims to prevent, suppress and punish human trafficking, especially among women and children.It also obliges member states to criminalise trafficking in persons, investigate and prosecute traffickers as well as undertake border control measures.

The SOCA, together with Government and civil society, has also established an Inter-sectoral Task Team to develop a programme to co-ordinate a comprehensive strategy to counter human trafficking.

The strategy, which started after the government received the protocol in 2007, would lead to the adoption of a National Action Plan as required by the Palermo Protocol.

Read the full article

"$6,000. I was bought for that price": A South African's testimony

I grew up in a small South African village. I went to college, and became a teacher after graduating. When the government planned to redeploy teachers, I was forced to look elsewhere. I had always dreamed of traveling to different countries, so friends suggested I apply for nanny positions.

A friend introduced me to a woman named Sarah, who offered to arrange a potential nanny position. She promised that it would pay $300 weekly, require less than 40 hours of work a week, and allow me to attend school. I saved for a few months to pay the fee Sarah required, which was twice my monthly salary. When I called back, a man named Francisco returned my message. He told me where to deposit my money, and then directed me to come to Cape Town where he made arrangements for my departure.

I flew to the United States and arrived at Dulles International Airport where my new employers, Pat and her husband David, picked me up and took me to their home. They showed me to my room in the basement. Soon after, Pat explained my new job responsibilities. I was shocked to learn how different they were from those described to me by Sarah in South Africa.

What was supposed to be only daytime childcare turned out to be 24-7 on-call domestic servitude. At 7:00 a.m. I was to get their three kids ready for school. Then, I was to spend about seven hours cleaning the house, making all the beds, scrubbing the bathrooms,doing the laundry, ironing clothes, and a long list of other domestic chores. Around 3:00 p.m. I was to pick the kids up from school, watch them, and keep the house tidy. At 8:00 p.m., the kids went to bed, but I often was assigned other tasks.

I was paid a mere $140 per week, $1.75 hourly if you divide that over 80 hours. In addition, Pat and David monitored all of my calls, and threatened to have me deported or arrested if I reached out to anyone outside the home for help. I could not go back to South Africa because David took my passport and return ticket, demanding that I first repay the $6,000 he spent for me to come to the United States.

$6,000. I was bought for that price.

Nevertheless, I genuinely loved the three children I cared for. Through them I met Elizabeth, a nanny in the neighbourhood who encouraged me to escape. One day, I broke into my employers' bedroom and found my passport. Then I called Elizabeth, who took me to a motel in a small town in rural Maryland. After hiding there for a month, I stayed in random people's homes, and sometimes became homeless for a few days at a time to avoid staying with men who demanded sexual favours from me in return for shelter. There were days when I did not eat, did not sleep, and felt like my world was falling apart. Life lasted like this for months.

Fortunately, a service provider referred me to the Tahirih Justice Center. Tahirih arranged for a wonderful and caring team of pro bono attorneys at Howrey LLP to help me prepare an application for a T visa, which specifically addresses trafficking cases like mine.

In April 2007 I received my visa. Then I got my work permit. I met with Tahirih's social worker, and she helped me to pay for nursing school classes. I look forward to becoming a professional in the healthcare field. I enjoy caring for people. It is a slow process but with the support of my friends and family, including my Tahirih family, I am beginning to recover from my traumatic journey.

Names have been changed to protect privacy.

Tahirih Justice Center 6066 Leesburg Pike, Suite 220 Falls
Church, VA 22041- 703-575-0070; 703-575-0069(f)
www.tahirih.org email: justice@tahirih.org

This article was taken from the latest edition of IOM's Southern African Counter-Trafficking Assistance Programme's (SACTAP) quarterly bulletin of news, information and analysis on the subject of trafficking in persons in the region, called the EYE on Human Trafficking. Issue 18 of the EYE on Human Trafficking is available online.

This issue contains articles on a radio drama in Mozambique on human trafficking, a study on the high levels of psychological distress among trafficked women, a feature on the role of faith-based organisations in protecting victims of human trafficking, training seminars in Angola to build law enforcement capacity to combat human trafficking, an article on the SADC Ratings of the 2008 US TIP report, and conclusions and recommendations from the MIDSA workshop.

For subscriptions, further information or enquiries, please contact eye@iom.int.

Should Prostitution Be Legalized at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa?

From Business Day:

By Chantelle Benjamin

A RESEARCHER on organised crime has warned that the legalisation of prostitution for the 2010 Soccer World Cup could lead to a boom in human trafficking and the commercial sex industry such as that seen in Germany, if it is not regulated.

With the World Cup looming nearer, discussions about the decriminalisation of prostitution have intensified, supported by advocacy groups.

An international conference on prostitution and trafficking, specific to the 2010 Soccer World Cup, is to be held in East London next month to discuss the problem.

Shanaaz Parker, a researcher for the organised crime and money laundering programme of the Institute of Security Studies, said on Friday the legalisation of prostitution in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands was not a decision taken lightly, but in the case of the latter two countries human trafficking has increased.

Discussions about the legalisation of prostitution have been promoted by advocacy groups such as the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Task Force , which believe it would prevent unnecessary arrests of sex workers and improve conditions in the sector.

“The argument is that the World Cup will push up the demand for sex workers and the services they provide, so we should simply decriminalise this form of work and give the sex industry some dignity,” Parker said.

“But even then, if sex work is recognised as a profession, there is no guarantees that the women (or men) engaged in it will be treated with respect and that human trafficking in terms of the commercial sex industry will decrease. On the contrary, Germany and the Netherlands have seen an expansion of human trafficking and commercial sex industries during its legislation.”

The situation is of particular concern as SA had been identified as a transit destination for human trafficking.

Read the full article

South African Politician: Legalise Prostitution to Combat Rape & Human Trafficking at the World Cup

Cape Town, South Africa

From Play the Game:

South African parliamentarian George Lekgetho of the ruling ANC party has proposed that South Africa legalises prostitution for the duration of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in order to prevent instances of rape, as well as bring in revenue for the government to help the unemployed. His suggestion is the latest development in an ongoing debate in South Africa about how to tackle prostitution and human trafficking before the World Cup kicks off in two years time.

Advancing a crude rationale based upon supply and demand, Lekgotho told a Parliamentary committee that legalising prostitution would be “one of the things that would make [the World Cup] a success because we hear of many rapes, because people don’t have access to them.” Lekgotho backed up his case on socio-economic grounds saying that “if sex working is legalised people would not do things in the dark. That would bring us tax and would improve the lives of those who are not working,” reports the South African Press Association.

South African newspaper The Times denounced the logic of the Lekgotho’s argument, which appears to endorse the opinion that rape is generally a case of releasing sexual frustration rather [than] an act of violence based upon deeper underlying psychological issues. Furthermore, the fiscal justification for his suggestion was criticised on ethical grounds by opposition MP Sydney Opperman who stated that “You cannot attach a price to the deepest union between a man and a woman and link it to our tax base,” writes the South African Press Association.

The BBC reports that Lekgotho’s idea drew laughter and groans of protest in the South African parliament when he presented it to a parliamentary arts and culture committee. However, his plan was not rejected outright by the committee, with the Director General of the Arts and Culture Department agreeing with committee member Christopher Gololo that the matter should be “thrown to the public to debate.”

Prostitution Under Consideration
Concerns over prostitution as a result of an influx of predominantly male football supporters during the World Cup are not new in South Africa and Lekgotho is not the first senior South African official to suggest legalising prostitution in time for the tournament.

Jackie Selebi, the former National Police Commissioner and president of Interpol (currently suspended on allegations of corruption), suggested to a government committee in March 2007 that prostitution and public drinking be legalised or at least tolerated for the duration of the World Cup as the police force lacked the manpower to enforce the law in these areas. “I want you to apply your minds to my dilemma of what to do with the thousands of soccer hooligans expected to imbibe in public spaces and those who would feel the urge to try out other more exotic pastimes both currently illegal in South Africa” he told a parliamentary safety and security committee. “You as a committee must be sitting and thinking of how we are going to get around this. If a visiting fan is out on the street having a bottle of beer, must I arrest him, because it is illegal?”

The South African public has been less responsive to calls for legalisation of prostitution during the tournament however, with 79% of South Africans against the idea according to a survey carried out by African Response in June 2007. This lack of enthusiasm has been echoed by many public health and sex workers’ rights organisations, which criticise the emphasis being placed upon potential clients – soccer hooligans and potential rapists according to Selebi and Lekgotho respectively – rather than on the prostitutes themselves. Many believe that offering alternatives for prostitutes rather than the legalisation of the trade is the only workable solution.

Concerns Over Trafficking
Debbie Toughey, a former prostitute now working for the public health charity, Doctors for Life, believes that past experience shows that toleration of prostitution will act as a magnet for traffickers. Legalisation would simply mean “rolling out the welcome mat for organised crime syndicates who trade in human lives, exploiting the poor and desperate, and forcing them into the sex trade,” she said in a statement after Selebi’s suggestion to Parliament. “Approximately 40,000 women and children were trafficked into Germany to accommodate the demand for sex during the World Cup Games. The same can be expected for South Africa.”

However, Professor Vasu Reddy of the Human Sciences Research Council believes that legalisation or toleration may be the best way to prevent trafficking before the World Cup commences due to the clandestine nature of trafficking. “Statistics [on trafficking] are anecdotal evidence because cases of human trafficking are rarely reported and the victims who have been trafficked don't report it to the authorities. There is still a need for evidence-based research,” Reddy told delegates at a seminar on the issue of trafficking in December 2007. By bringing prostitution into the open, Reddy believes it will become harder to force the victims of trafficking into prostitution as greater government regulation of the industry will make it harder to hide away evidence of trafficking from the authorities.

However, given Jackie Selebi’s belief that there would not be enough officers to police prostitution and public alcohol consumption during the tournament, the ability of the government to oversee a regulated prostitution industry during the World Cup seems unlikely.

FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa may bring trafficking with it

From Independence Online:

Prostitution needs to be legalised in South Africa ahead of the several hundred thousand football fans expected to arrive for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Child and human rights organisations have warned that human trafficking could worsen in the country ahead of the World Cup, with "trafficked" women and children being forced into the sex industry.

The experts say that the only way to prevent this is to decriminalise prostitution and promulgate trafficking laws.

This comes after a seminar by the Human Sciences Research Council and the International Organisation for Migration in Pretoria this week.

Professor Vasu Reddy, the acting director of the gender and development unit at the HSRC, said that if South Africa did not expedite the decriminalisation of the sex industry, it would have a ripple effect on human trafficking.

Read the full article

*But is legalizing prostitution really the answer? Let's hear what some other experts say...

Sidebar: The Debate Behind the Legalization of Prostitution


From humantrafficking.org:

Two scholars debate whether or not to legalize prostitution. Professor Janice Raymond is the co-executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, the author of 5 books, and Professor Emerita at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Dr. Melissa Ditmore was the principal investigator for Revolving Door, the first report released by the Sex Workers Project, and is currently a research consultant for the organization.

Against Legalization
Professor Janice Raymond - When the question of legalization of prostitution is discussed, many commentators start with the unproven assumption that legalization protects women. Who said so? Let’s look at the evidence in countries that have legalized or decriminalized prostitution.

In the Netherlands, Germany, and Australia, legalization has failed to protect the women in prostitution, control the enormous expansion of the sex industry, decrease child prostitution and trafficking from other countries, and prevent HIV/AIDS -- all arguments used for legalization. And it has transformed these countries into brothels. Legalizing prostitution is legalizing the prostitution industry.

What many people don’t realize is that legalizing prostitution means not only decriminalizing the women in prostitution, but also the pimps, brothels and buyers.

My organization favors decriminalizing the women but not the pimps who promote prostitution and trafficking and exploit the victims. In countries like the Netherlands when legalization took effect, pimps overnight became sex businessmen. One day, they were criminals and the next day legitimate entrepreneurs.

There is no evidence that legalization of prostitution makes things better for women in prostitution. It certainly makes things better for governments who legalize prostitution and of course, for the sex industry, both of whom enjoy increased revenues.

Instead of abandoning women to state-sanctioned brothels, laws should address the demand. Men who use women in prostitution have long been invisible. There is a legal alternative to state sponsorship of the prostitution industry. Rather than cozying up with pimps and traffickers, States could address the demand – as Sweden has done -- by penalizing the men who buy women for the sex of prostitution. And as in Sweden, this would help create a chilly climate for the buyers and the traffickers.



For Decriminalization
Dr. Melissa Ditmore - Prostitution should be decriminalized. This would remove prostitution from the criminal code and thereby render prostitution akin to other businesses. It’d be taxed and subject ot business requirements. Decriminalization of prostitution has been a success in New Zealand and parts of Australia. They cite decriminalization as an advantage over legalization because removing prostitution from the criminal code avoids both the problems of graft and abuse associated with police jurisdiction over prostitution and the sometimes overbearing regulations that accompany legalization. (For example, in Nevada’s brothels, brothel-owners decide whether licensed prostitutes are allowed to leave the brothel during their off hours. Prostitutes can be required to stay on the premises for weeks at a time, no matter their working hours.) Decriminalization would better protect people in the sex industry from violence and abuse.

Legal reform clearly does not solve all problems related to the sex industry. However, advocates and activists would rally behind legal reform that would lead to police addressing violence committed against sex workers. Police cannot and do not simultaneously seek to arrest prostitutes and protect them from violence. Currently, under New York Criminal Procedure Law, sex workers who have been victims of sex offenses, including assault and rape, face greater obstacles than other victims. Indeed, women describe being told, “What did you expect?” by police officers who refused to investigate acts of violence perpetrated against women whom they knew engaged in prostitution. The consequences of such attitudes are tragic: Gary Ridgway said that he killed prostitutes because he knew he would not be held accountable. The tragedy is that he was right – he confessed to the murders of 48 women, committed over nearly twenty years. That is truly criminal.

Read the full article

Is there a one-size-fits-all solution (continued criminalization or straight decriminalization) when it comes to legalizing prostitution or does the answer lie in a compromise such as Professor Raymond's position to decriminalize sex workers but not pimps and customers? Does legalizing prostitution protect sex workers, opening up access to government protection and services or does it allow traffickers to operate more freely? Or both? If both, is the benefit worth the cost?

Clearly legislation alone doesn't sufficiently address prostitution, but it is integral in setting up the legal precedent from which a holistic, ideally multi-sector effort of governments, businesses and citizens can grow.

What do you think?