Trafficking

New York Office Director Tzili Mor on Backpage.com's global facilitation of sex trafficking (NY Post)

3/20/12 -- NY Post -- "‘SexTrafficking.com’: Enslaved girls for sale on Village Voice Media site" New York Office Director Tzili Mor on Backpage.com's global facilitation of sex trafficking: "We can’t sit quietly and idly by while big business is protected at the expense of women’s rights. It’s a sad statement that the US cannot get its act together to protect girls and women from being raped.

Anuradha Koirala

Nepal’s Fearless Crusader Against Sex Trafficking
Anuradha Koirala

What inspired you to start Maiti Nepal?

I was brought up in a family that regarded providing services for humankind as the best form of pious work. Secondly, I studied in a convent school, where I grew up with sisters and mother that further increased my devotion towards the social work. Finally, Mother Teresa was the biggest source of inspiration to instigate a mission for the betterment of humankind. These reasons led to the establishment of Maiti Nepal.

What changes have you seen since you started Maiti Nepal?

India: The Demand for Sex Trafficking: Holding Commercial Sex Buyers Accountable

Action Number: 
30.1
Update: 
Not an update
Date: 
2008 May 1

“Naina has been raped by an old man. The same thing happened to me when I was ten years old. I hate the people who bought me and pushed me into this as much as I hate the men who were my clients!” (Meena, prostitution survivor whose 13-year-old daughter was trafficked into prostitution)

What You Can Do: 

Please write to the officials below calling on the Indian Government to adopt strong measures to end trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, including Section 5C of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Amendment (ITPA) Bill 2006, which would penalize buyers of prostituted sex. Ask them also to address the underlying issue of gender inequality and the system that allows those most marginalized in society, particularly “lower” caste women and children, to be exploited for commercial sex. Request that the Government put programs in place to provide viable alternatives to prostitution so that women such as Beenu, Meena, Fatima and others have other options to provide for themselves and their families.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister’s Office
South Block, Raisina Hill
New Delhi, 110011, INDIA
Email: pmosb@pmo.nic.in
Fax: +91 (0)1123016857

Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, President
Indian National Congress
10 Janpath/24 Akbar Road
New Delhi, 110011, INDIA
Email: soniagandhi@sansad.nic.in
Fax: +91 (0)1123017047

Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister of State
Science & Technology/Earth Sciences
19, Teen Murti Marg
New Delhi, 110011, INDIA
Email: ksibal@sansad.nic.in
Fax: +91 (0)1123018705

United States: Sex Tourism: Big Apple Oriental Tours Acquitted of State Criminal Charges. Federal Action Needed to Prosecute G.F. Tours and other U.S.-Based Sex Tour Operators

Action Number: 
27.2
Update: 
UPDATE
Date: 
2009 May 1

In 1996, Equality Now launched a Women’s Action campaign calling for the prosecution of Big Apple Oriental Tours (BAOT). At the time, the company was advertising a twelve-day trip to the Philippines for sex tourists at the cost of $2,195, which included transportation, airfare, hotel room, and the ability of the sex tourist to “select your companion upon arrival in Angeles City” in a commercial sex transaction that would be brokered by a BAOT representative at the customer’s request.

What You Can Do: 

Please write to the new U.S. Attorney General and call on him to prosecute Gunter Frentz, the owner/operator of G.F. Tours, and other sex tour operators for knowingly and openly transporting individuals to other countries with the intent of engaging in prostitution in violation of the Mann Act and Travel Act. Reiterate that sex tourism is a criminal act that exploits and harms women, and very often children, while it supports a multi-billion dollar industry in human trafficking. Urge the Attorney General to clarify to all federal prosecutors that the Department of Justice policy is to prosecute U.S.-based sex tour operators.

Letters should be addressed to:

U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530, USA
Fax: + 1 202-307-6777
E-mail: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov

Sample letter

Women's Action 12.1: December 1996
Women's Action 12.2: March 2004
Women's Action 12.3: October 2005
Women's Action 27.1: October 2005

 

Urgent Alert: South Africa: Urgent call: World Cup Soccer and Sex Trafficking – A Volatile Combination

Update: 
Not an update
Date: 
2010 May 10

 

  Taina Bien-Aimé Executive Director of Equality Now, speaks on South Africa and t

What You Can Do: 

Please write to the South African officials below, calling on them to enact and effectively enforce the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill 2010 prior to the commencement of the World Cup. Urge the government to provide protection and services to victims of trafficking, offering the resources necessary to provide practical alternatives to prostituted women and their families.

 

Letters should be sent to

President Jacob Zuma
Union Buildings
Private Bag X1000,
Pretoria, 0001
South Africa
Fax: +27 12 323 8246
Email: president@po.gov.za

Minister Jeffrey Thamsanqa Radebe, MP
Minister of Justice
Private Bag X276,
Pretoria, 0001
South Africa
Fax: +27 12 315 1749
Email: Ministry@justice.gov.za

Hon Max Vuyisile Sisulu, MP
Speaker of the National Assembly
South Africa
Fax: +27 21 461 9462
Email: speaker@parliament.gov.za

Send copies of your letters to:
The National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa – Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit
P/Bag X752,
Pretoria, 0001
South Africa
Email: communication@npa.gov.za

Sample letter

Pakistan: End exploitation and abuse of girls in domestic servitude

Action Number: 
35.1
Update: 
Not an update
Date: 
2010 May 24

Shazia's funeralOn 22 January 2010, Shazia Masih, a 12-year-old Pakistani girl employed as a domestic servant, was taken to the hospital in an unconscious state where she died shortly thereafter.

What You Can Do: 

Please write to the Prime Minister, Speaker of National Assembly, Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower, Federal Minister for Human Rights and the Minister for Law and Justice asking them to ban domestic work for children; and to regulate the working hours, work conditions and wages in the domestic work sector to prevent the abuse and exploitation of adult domestic workers. Urge them to take administrative, social and educational measures to protect the rights of children and end their exploitation. In addition please urge them to ensure that the trafficking legislation addresses domestic trafficking within Pakistan and protects children who are trafficked into domestic servitude. TAKE ACTION!

Letters should go to:

HE Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani
Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
The Prime Minister’s Secretariat
Islamabad, Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
Tel: +92 51 920 6111
Email: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk

Dr. Fehmida Mirza
Speaker, National Assembly of Pakistan
Parliament House
Islamabad, Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 922 1106
Tel: +92 51 922 1082/83
Email: speaker@na.gov.pk

Mr. Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah
Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower
27, Minister’s Enclave
Islamabad, Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 920 3462
Tel: +92 51 921 3686
Email: minister@molm.gov.pk

Mr. Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani
Federal Minister for Human Rights
3rd Floor, Old USAID Building
Ataturk Avenue, G-5/1
Islamabad, Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 924 4542
Tel: +92 51 924 4526
Email: minister@mohr.gov.pk

Dr. Zaheeruddin Babar Awan
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
Islamabad, Pakistan
Email: minister@molaw.gov.pk

Sample letter

United States : G&F Tours--A Call for Law Enforcement to End Sex Tourism

Action Number: 
27.1
Update: 
Not an update
Date: 
2005 Oct 1

"Do you need an innocent in need of seduction or a raw nymphomaniac whore? ... Do you like it nice or nasty?  … Maybe you've heard stories about sample blow jobs…?  It's all true!" (G&F Tours website)

What You Can Do: 

Please write to U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. and call on him to prosecute Gunter Frentz, owner/operator of G&F Tours, for knowingly and openly transporting individuals to other countries with the intent that they will patronize prostitution in contravention of the Mann Act and the Travel Act.  Point out that effective measures to combat sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation require a focus on and suppression of the demand side of the industry, including sex tourism, as the U.S. Government has recognized in its Trafficking in Persons National Security Presidential Directive of 2003 and its annual Trafficking in Persons Report.  Urge the Attorney General to clarify to all federal prosecutors that the activities of sex tourism companies fall within and constitute a violation of federal law, and to ensure that the Department of Justice takes action to shut down all sex tour companies operating from the United States.  Please also write to the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, let him know that G&F Tours has recently relocated to Forth Worth and ask him to take immediate action to shut down Gunter Frentz’s sex tour operation.

U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530, USA
Fax: +1 202-307-6777
E-mail: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov

U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper
U.S. Attorney's Office-North District of Texas
Dallas Division
Earle Cabell Federal Building
1100 Commerce Street, Suite 300
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699, USA
Fax: +1 214-767-2898

Hawaii: Legislation Passed to End Sex Tourism and Hold Sex Tour Operators Accountable

Action Number: 
24.2
Update: 
UPDATE
Date: 
2004 May 1

In an unprecedented move to combat sex tourism, the Hawaii State legislature passed HB 2020, an Act relating to prostitution, which the Lt. Governor signed into law, as Act 82, on May 19, 2004. The Act makes it a felony offense, with a sentence of up to five years in prison, to sell or offer to sell travel services for the purpose of engaging in prostitution and authorizes suspension or revocation of a travel agency registration for engaging in these acts.

What You Can Do: 

Please write to Hawaii State Representative Marilyn Lee, the main sponsor of Act 82. Congratulate her on the success of her initiative to facilitate the prosecution of sex tour operators. Urge her to encourage legislators in other states to do the same. Please also encourage your own legislators to pass a law specifically criminalizing the activities of sex tour operators using Hawaii’s legislation as an example. The full text of the legislation is available on-line.

State Representative Marilyn B. Lee
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 421
415 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
USA
Tel: +1 808-586-9460
Fax: +1 808-586-9466
E-mail: replee@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Hawaii: Legislation to End Sex Tourism and Hold Sex Tour Operators Accountable

Action Number: 
24.1
Update: 
Not an update
Date: 
2004 Mar 1

Q: Is it true I could have sex with two girls at the same time?
A: Definitely YES!! That's the difference between spending $75.00 to $150.00, and having a FANTASTIC time!!! You can have as many as you can fit in your room.
—from Frequently Asked Questions on Video Travel's Ultimate Asian Sex Tour website.

What You Can Do: 

Please write to the Majority and Minority leaders of the Hawaii State Senate and House of Representatives asking them to support the proposed legislation prohibiting sex tourism (HB 2020 in its current form). Note that the passage of this legislation will simplify the prosecution of sex tour operators like Melvin Hamaguchi and could serve as a model for other states. Welcome the State of Hawaii’s efforts to eradicate sex tourism, and remind the legislators that sex tourism contributes to the trafficking of women and girls. Letters should be addressed to:

Senate Majority Leader Colleen Hanabusa
21st Senatorial District
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 214
415 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
USA
Phone: +1-808-586-7793
Fax: +1-808-586-7797
Email: senhanabusa@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Senate Minority Leader Fred Hemmings
25th Senatorial District
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 221
415 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
USA
Phone: +1-808-587-8388
Fax: +1-808-587-7240
Email: senhemmings@Capitol.hawaii.gov

House Majority Leader Scott K. Saiki
22nd Representative District
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 438
415 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
USA
Phone: +1-808-586-8485
Fax: +1-808-586-8489
Email: repsaiki@Capitol.hawaii.gov

House Minority Leader Galen Fox
23rd Representative District
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 318
415 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
USA
Phone: +1-808-586-8520
Fax: 1+808-586-8524
Email: repfox@Capitol.hawaii.gov

United States: The Role of Military Forces in the Growth of the Commercial Sex Industry

Action Number: 
23.2
Update: 
UPDATE
Date: 
2006 Mar 1

A major step towards the establishment of a zero-tolerance policy with respect to solicitation of prostitution by U.S. military personnel was taken on 14 October 2005, when U.S. President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13387, which amends the Manual for Courts-Martial to specifically enumerate “patronizing a prostitute” as a violation of Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). U.S.

What You Can Do: 

Please write to U.S. President George W. Bush, welcoming Executive Order 13387 specifically enumerating “patronizing a prostitute” as a violation of Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Urge the President and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to strictly enforce this provision, noting that patronizing prostitution feeds the global demand for sex trafficking and noting reports that the law is not being effectively enforced. Urge President Bush and Defense Secretary Gates to institute a zero-tolerance policy on the solicitation of prostitution by U.S. military forces around the world.

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
United States of America
Fax: +1 202-456-2461
E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov

Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000
United States of America
Fax: +1 703-697-8339
http://www.dod.gov/faq/comment.html

Please also write to South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun and Minister of Justice Chung Soung-jin, thanking them for the efforts to create a new legal framework that recognizes and protects victims of prostitution while holding those who exploit them accountable.  Urge them to ensure that the new laws are strictly enforced.

President Roh Moo-Hyun
Office of the President—Cheong Wa Dae
1 Jongno-gu
Jongo-Gunsejong-no
110-050 Seoul
Republic of Korea
Fax: +82 2-770-0344
E-mail: webmaster@president.go.kr

Minister Chung Soung-jin
Ministry of Justice
Building #1
Gwacheon Government Complex
Jungang-dong 1, Gwacheon-si, Kyunggi-do
Republic of Korea
Fax: +82 2-503-1641
E-mail: webmaster@moj.go.kr

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