To commemorate 2016 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Joseph Osuigwe, an anti-human trafficking advocate and Director, DEVATOP Centre for Africa Development and Ambassador Rachel Bakam, an actress, TV personality and producer, spoke to Nigerians on why they need to take action against human trafficking.
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (WDATP) is a call to end human trafficking and give hope to the victims who often live unrecognized among us. This is also a period to get private sectors, individuals, organizations and government to support the fight against human trafficking through donations and sponsorship. It is a period to promote the awareness and fight against human trafficking around the world. There are over 27 million victims of human trafficking globally while 30, 000 victims die every year as a result of abuse, torture, and illness.
During their advocacy talk at African Independent Television (AIT), Ambassador Rachel said human trafficking is the use of deception or force to exploit the services and dignity of women and young people. She stated that women and girls are more vulnerable to human trafficking and make up about 70 percent of the victims. According to her, girls as young as 6 years are sexually exploited by perpetrators.
Joseph Osuigwe spoke on the danger of human trafficking. He stated that human trafficking imperils the future of young people. He noted that “27 million victims of human trafficking are more than the population of Netherlands, Ghana, North Korea, Togo, etc. At least 80% of the victims are young people, including women, girls, boys and children between the ages of 6 and 25 years. Each year, 32 billion dollars is generated from the exploitation of victims. The future of young people has been compromised, their vision delayed and potentials caged because of the triumph of human trafficking which has continued to thrive in the shadow and silence of others”. He stressed the need for proactive action in addressing human trafficking and called on young people to be in the forefront of combating human trafficking. Osuigwe stated that young people need to use their creativity, talents, abilities, and ideas to combat human trafficking.
The two guest interviewees at African Independent Television Kakaaki programme appealed to Nigerians to open their eyes to the realities of human trafficking and join in combating it. They advised organizations, companies, philanthropists, and religious group to support the fight against the crime thereby saving more young people from been trafficked.
The media campaign to commemorate the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons was supported by African Independent Television (AIT).
Get more stuff like this
Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox.