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Human trafficking happens in nearly every corner of the world. Trafficking in persons is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Annually, approximately 800,000 people - mostly women and children - are trafficked across national borders. This does not count the millions trafficked within their own countries. People are trapped into trafficking by many means. In some cases, physical force is used. In other cases, false promises are made regarding job opportunities or marriages in foreign countries to entrap victims. Human trafficking is a clandestine operation, and its victims are hidden and afraid to come forward.
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Human
life is the gift of our Creator
-- and it should never be for
sale. (President
Bush, 7/16/04)
Each year it is
estimated that nearly one million
people - mostly women and children
- are trafficked around the
world. Approximately 14,500
- 17,500 people are trafficked
to the United States each year,
and forced to live in slave
like conditions.
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| Global
Trafficking:
This multifaceted illegal business
knows
no borders and spares no race. |
Facts
About Trafficking:
- Worldwide,
at least 700,000 to 2,000,000
human beings are trafficked
across international boarders
each year.
- Of those,
it is believed that more than
80 percent are women and girls,
and that 70 percent of them
were forced into sexual servitude.
- According
to the United Nations, trafficking
of human beings is now the
third largest source of money
for organized crime, after
arms and drugs.
- In 2003, nearly
8,000 traffickers were prosecuted
worldwide, 2,800 were convicted.
- Many victims are as young as 12 years old. They are beaten and killed. Others die spiritual and emotional deaths, convinced after years of abuse that their lives have no worth.
- America is
actively helping nations that
are willing to engage in this
fight. The U.S. has enacted
new laws to combat trade in
human lives; 32 countries
are now in the process of
drafting or passing such laws.
- In 2003, President
Bush signed the Victims Protection
Act, which allows U.S. law
enforcement to prosecute Americans
who travel abroad and engage
in sex with minors.
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What
You Should Know
About Child Labour:
Traffickers usually
approach impoverished
families and offer
them as little as
U.S. $15 to hand
their son or daughter
over to an employer.
Many of the families
who agree to sell
their children hope
that their child's
employment will
lead them to a better
life filled with
more opportunities.
After the children
are purchased from
their parents, they
are secretly transported
to nearby countries.
The journey is often
treacherous and
many children perish
in transit.
The
trafficker then
places the children
in 'employment'
with a host family,
but he or she receives
the children's wages.
The children receive
no money for their
labour. Trafficked
children work in
both commercial
and domestic sectors.
Many are also sold
as prostitutes.
The
children are bonded
to the traffickers
or to the person
to whom they are
sold. It is nearly
impossible for them
to work off the
debt they owe to
the trafficker and
the childrens' families
rarely have the
means to raise enough
money to buy them
back.
Child
slaves work between
10 and 20 hours
per day, often seven
days a week. They
are given little
to no time for rest,
play or education.
Often, the children
are not given adequate
food, clothing or
healthcare. Furthermore,
the enslaved children
run a high risk
of being physically
or sexually abused.
Some
child slaves successfully
escape from slaveholders,
but the majority
are unable to return
to their families.
WOTCLEF
(Women Trafficking
and Child Labour
Eradication Foundation)
is a Non-Governmental
Organization (NGO),
which was initiated
and founded by Her
Excellency, Chief
(Mrs.) Amina Titi
Atiku Abubakar,
wife of the Vice-President
of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria in 1999.
It is committed
to building an international
coalition that restores
human dignity through
empowerment, education
and advocacy. WOTCLEF
is a humanitarian
organization, dedicated
to the eradication
of trafficking in
persons, child labour
and violent abuses
of the rights of
women and society,
WOTCLEF's
areas of focus
are:
Trafficking, Child
Labour, Abuse of
the Rights of Women
and Children and
HIV/AIDS.
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Her
Excellency and Tony
Nzeribe honoring the
establishment of WOTCLEF
USA.
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The United States is very much a "destination country" for trafficking. Florida is one of the top three "destination states" within the U.S. Because of Florida's economy, demographics, large immigrant population, military bases, large service industry, agriculture, international airports and other transit ports, it is attractive to traffickers.
WOTCLEF
expanded across
borders to open
an office in Florida.
In 2005, Her Excellency
opened WOTCLEF,
USA, Inc.,
a non-profit 501©(3)
in Tallahassee,
Florida. Her Excellency
is the Chair of
WOTCLEF, USA,
and several directors
serve on the board
in Nigeria and Florida.
The collective mission
of both organizations
is the same.
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WOTCLEF Mission:
- To organize
and promote enlightenment
campaigns against women trafficking
and child labour.
- To create awareness
to Nigerians and the international
community on the effects of
women trafficking and child
labour migration.
- To work towards
the eradication of women trafficking
and child labour migration.
- To provide
an enlightenment forum where
policy makers can discover,
harness and exchange ideas
on the issues of women trafficking
and child labour.
WOTCLEF
Objectives:
- To place the
African dimension of trafficking
and child labour on the global
agenda for special attention
and action.
- To mobilize
and motivate stakeholders
at all levels to respond to
the challenges posed by trafficking,
child labour and violent abuses
of the rights of women and
children.
- To generate,
organize, and disseminate
critical data and produce
up to date information about
trafficking and child labour.
- To produce and publish materials that enhances local, regional and global awareness about the problem.
- To rescue,
rehabilitate, and reintegrate
victims into their communities
in accordance with their best
interests.
- To
network and collaborate
with concerned
parties worldwide
towards the eradication
of trafficking,
child labour,
and violent abuses
of women and children.
- To promote the work of the WOTCLEF Rehabilitation Center in Abuja, Nigeria by collaborating with worldwide affiliations.
- To establish
special school
programs to educate
and promote awareness
of human trafficking,
child labour and
HIV/AIDS.
- To collaborate with worldwide partners and concerned parities in enacting legislation that prosecutes those engaged in trafficking, child labour and violent abuses of the rights of women and children.
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