Serve Trafficking Victims
|
The Fund is deeply concerned about the number of families impacted by human trafficking. Working with advocates on the ground in various parts the Philippines, we hope to mobilize resources in the future to aggressively prevent children from falling prey to pedophile rings. We also hope find resources to promote rehabilitative services that are already in place. The Fund plans to continue networking with international authorities to crack down on criminal networks that place these children in harms way.
One non-governmental organization in particular has had success in fighting trafficking at both the international and local level-The Good Shepherd Sisters. In Northern Mindinao there is a tremendous need. The internal trafficking of women and children mostly come from depressed rural areas, particularly in Visayas and Mindinao, to Metro Manila, Cebu, and other urban centers in the country for sexual exploitation or forced labor as domestic workers, factory workers, or in the drug trade. As in other poor countries, the push factor for trafficking in the Philippines is poverty and most of the victims are women and children. The government and NGO estimates the number of women trafficked ranges from 300,000 to 400,000. The estimates for the number of children trafficked range from 60,000 to 100,000.
The Sisters have established crisis intervention centers all over the Philippines to provide rehabilitation services to women and children. They want to help local governments enforce federal laws to put those involved in illegal recruitment activities behind bars. More resources are needed to subsidize their demonstrated successful efforts.
|
|