August was Women’s month, a time when South Africa commemorated the day in 1956 when women from all races and walks of life marched to the Union Buildings against oppressive apartheid laws. Fast forward to 2013 we have to acknowledge that South Africa has made strides in installing the rights of all and especially women.

Yet even though much ground has been covered, there still remain challenges which threaten the achievements made. One such challenge is that of human trafficking, an abhorrent practice that undermines human rights. Although men, women and children can become victims of human trafficking, young women are particularly vulnerable for various reasons such as the demand for the services within the sex industry or within low skills employment where women are exploited and made to work in deplorable conditions.

Human trafficking, described as ‘modern day slavery’, is the recruitment and transportation of people from one place to another or one country to another, through the use of deception or force for the sole purpose of exploitation. Factors that make one vulnerable to human trafficking include poverty, lack of economic opportunities, unemployment, domestic violence, civil unrest, lack of access to education and low levels of human trafficking awareness. These factors provide human traffickers with a pool of susceptible people who easily fall for empty promises of a better life.
Furthermore like any business, the forces of demand and supply are at play in human trafficking. The demand for cheap labour and sexual services ensure that human traffickers remain in business.

This then raises the question, how do we combat human trafficking? How do we ensure the progress made to protect women and children is not undermined? The standard practice is to implement activities that address three broad objectives, prevention, prosecution, protection and partnerships also commonly known as the 4ps

Programmes whose focus is economic empowerment cannot work in isolation, they require a holistic approach with a string of social awareness and political mobilization components because the causes of human trafficking are multifaceted. Information sharing and increasing awareness is invaluable, especially when working in peri-urban and rural communities. Through partnerships at local, national and regional levels, communities and organizations can strategically organize resources in a coordinated manner to comprehensively combat human trafficking by addressing the three objectives of prevention, protection and prosecution.

Human trafficking is not a peripheral issue, but something which causes immense physical and mental trauma to victims. Trauma as a result of the trafficking experience has been equated to the one experienced by victims of torture. Victims of trafficking suffer from psychological torture, are normally physically abused and are constantly exposed to contracting HIV/AIDS as well other sexually transmitted infections. Through debt bondage victims of trafficking are enslaved and manipulated by traffickers who treat the victims like commodities. Unless rescued, victims of trafficking live a deprived life, decisions as simple as when to sleep, what to eat and wear are made for them by traffickers. This is why protection as a counter trafficking objective is important.

To deter traffickers is as well important to strengthen legislation and policies and protect the victim. Prosecution also sends a warning to human traffickers. By enforcing the law, a hostile trafficking environment can be created thus acting as a barrier to the human trafficking trade.

Recently President Jacob Zuma signed into law of the long-awaited Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill.

For the first time South Africa has a single statute which addresses the scourge of trafficking in persons holistically and comprehensively.

Human trafficking is difficult to measure in terms of statistics. But research by IOM and others suggests that the problem is relatively widespread in South Africa. IOM is committed to support the government with operationalization of the new legislation and will continue to build the capacity of government and civil society partners to effectively and comprehensively respond.

‘This year’s theme for the Women’s month in South Africa was “A Centenary of Working Together towards Sustainable Women Empowerment and Gender Equality’, it sets the tone for what should be a period of sustained and significant change. If the lives of vulnerable women are to be protected then combating human trafficking has to be a priority for all at all levels.

Opinion piece by Dr. Erick Ventura, IOM South Africa Chief of Mission. Published by the New Age Newspaper on 23 August 2013