European Anti-Trafficking Day – October 18th, 2013
Soroptimists are engaged!
Soroptimist International of Europe and its 35’000 members support the call launched by human rights experts from the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Co-operation and Security in Europe (OSCE) for a concerted global response to fight the transnational scourge of trafficking in persons. On this 18th of October, European Anti- Trafficking Day, these three organizations recognized that in order to eradicate such complex issues as human trafficking, strong partnerships should be the backbone of coordinated efforts existing within a human rights approach. “Given the worrying proportions human trafficking has taken, there is a need to move from a national security model to a human rights-based approach” in order to better protect, assist, provide remedies for, and re- integrate victims.
As witnesses of such dramatic human rights abuses, Soroptimists strive to maintain a spirit of cooperation and partnership, bringing the voice of civil society and the voices of women who are affected, to the ears to policy-makers within the UN, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE. Soroptimist International of Europe not only has participatory status within the Council of Europe and consultative status within the UN and the OSCE but its 35,000 members actively work on projects which contribute to awareness raising of the causes and consequences of human trafficking as well as on education projects which target women and girls in at risk groups within source countries.