TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN: policy suggestions developed by women who have been trafficked.

Transcription

1 TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN: policy suggestions developed by women who have been trafficked. TEMAS DE LA EXPOSICION: 1. Explain the concept and forms of trafficking 2. Suggest PAR as a methodology to: - Point to and address problems affecting immigrants - Develop feminist, post-colonial proposals - Conduct reserch from different perspectives and lines of thought. HELGA FLAMTERMESKY / Psicología social / UNIVERSITAT AUTÓNOMA DE BARCELONA / Barcelona / Julio 2011

2 MUJER FRONTERA Propuestas de intervención desde mujeres que han sufrido la trata MAIN GOALS: 1. Develop proposals of intervention by women who have been trafficked. 2. Give these women a face and acknowledge their expertise and survival strategies. 3. Respond to these women s concerns and requests:...weare sickand tiredof beingobjectsof research, study, analysisand statistics Theyare tiredof policiesdevelopedforthembutwithoutthem. (GMIS 2006)

3 MUJER FRONTERA Propuestas de intervención desde mujeres que han sufrido la trata Participatory Action Research PAR or FPAR Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a process of inquiry that includes, simultaneously: > Scientific research > Formative processes > Political action PAR methodology considers critical analysis, diagnosis of situations, as well as practice to be sources of knowledge. At the same time is a way to empower those women who take part of the research process. People who take part of this process are at the same time objects and subjects of research. Border thinking, postcolonialism/de- colonialism, Situated knowledge. Feminism. Other rationalities FPAR Feminist Participatory Action Research Research as a feminist practice. Highlights knowledge produced by women. Develops theory from practice. The goal is to empower.

4 What is Human Trafficking? Different definitions. On the numbers.

5 (a) [...] the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means ofthethreatoruseofforce orotherformsofcoercion, ofabduction,offraud,ofdeception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs; (b) The consent of a victim of trafficking in persons to the intended exploitation set forth in subparagraph (a) of this article shall be irrelevant where any of the means set forth in subparagraph (a) have been used; (c) The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation shall be considered trafficking in persons even if this does not involve any of the means set forth in subparagraph (a) of this article; (d) Child shallmeananypersonundereighteenyearsofage. [2] The Trafficking Protocol entered into force on 25 December By June 2010, the TraffickingProtocolhadbeenratifiedby117countriesand137parties. [3 Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. was adopted by theunited Nations in Palermo, Italy in 2000

6 MUJER FRONTERA Propuestas de intervención desde mujeres que han sufrido la trata For economic purposes The ultimate goal of trafficking is EXPLOITATION With the purpose to dominate and abuse of power

7 TRAFFICKING Roots - Abduction - Threats (to victims or others) - Swindle - Fraud -False conditions Benefit from needs or dreems Where? - Country of origin - Country of arrival Countries of transit How? - Recruitment - Transport - Transfer - Reception - Acogida - Legal or fake documents -Deprive of liberty - Identity theft

8 The control... Threats No payment Retention of documents Deprive of liberty or controlled freedom Violence Slavery Social isolation Fear Use of force

9 Forms of trafficking... sexual exploitation forced labor slavery exploiting beggary servile marriage forced marriage removal of organs

10 PROFILES Women in Colombia, United States, Philippines and Spain. Different nationalities: Mexico, Pakistan, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Rumania, Argentina, Philippines, Morocco, Senegal and Colombia. Women who have suffered different types of trafficking like: labor exploitation, sexual exploitation, removal of organs, servile marriage, forced marriage. Women who have suffered trafficking recently and others who suffered this experience several years ago. Women who reported to authorities and entered the assistance circuit, and women (actually the majority) who never reported and did not receive any institutional support. Most of these women are now immigrants in the country where they had suffered slavery. Women from different creed: Catholic, Protestant, Evangelic, Muslim, Agnostic, etc. All of them have finished their high school studies. Some of them have higher education.

11 MUJER FRONTERA Propuestas de intervención desde mujeres que han sufrido la trata Philippines. Women identify trafficking as a problem related to migration.. They have shared lifestories.. They want to become visible.. They allow taking pictures.. Contact and meetings took place through NGOs. Spain USA Colombia..Women identify trafficking but are unsure on how to deal with it.. They want to become visible.. They allow pictures but without showing their face.. Interviews and meetings were conducted in their homes..women seem to accept trafficking as given for anybody migrating to the US.. They are reluctant to share their experiences in front of other people.. They ask for confidenciality.. I work with them on narratives through .. Women identifiy the problem and want to address it.. NGOs want to act as their spokespersons.. They want to be visible.. I am working with them through the university.. They have no difficulties in sharing their experience.. I have written stories based on their experiences.. They have difficulties in sharing their experience..they want to be part of the process as migrant, not as victims of trafficking..

12 MUJER FRONTERA Propuestas de intervención desde mujeres que han sufrido la trata Phases and Activities : PHASE 1: Review of international, national and local handbooks and protocols of assistance and prevention of trafficking. We analyzed the existing services to assist women victims of trafficking. We analyzed protocols, agendas and handbooks of assistance to victims of trafficking. Reflections from our experience to escape trafficking. Misperceptions about trafficking (pictures)

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14 MUJER FRONTERA Propuestas de intervención desde mujeres que han sufrido la trata PHASE 2: Empowerment and advocacy. Development of a handbook for social intervention based on ideas, suggestions and proposals by women who have suffered trafficking. Web, activities, s Training in intercultural mediation Thewayin whichwethink, name, and maketraffickedwomenvisible has consequences: itcan empowerthem, oritcan legitimizewaysof control and domination(overthemand otherwomen). n%20and%20trafficking.pdf

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16 MUJER FRONTERA Propuestas de intervención desde mujeres que han sufrido la trata USO DE PALABRAS QUE DEFINEN LO QUE HACEN: incidencia y lobby Durante este proceso se da un cambio de rumbo en la investigación... OUTCOMES: 1. Stories 2. Symbols 3. Music 4. A website: Border woman 5. Another form of dialogue 6. Solve problems jointly.

17 MUJER FRONTERA Propuestas de intervención desde mujeres que han sufrido la trata Empowerment. To position themselves and respond/challenge the experts(process of legitimising) They are not fixed images, static concepts like stamps. Theychallengeconceptslikeempathy, gender, victims(negativevictimisation), vulnerability, traumatised women. They rather identify with concepts of subalterns, post-colonial, etc From victims to annoying witnesses(about what is NOT working). Open unexpected venues like the academe. Turn a negative experience into a tool for transformation. No posicionarme como feminista al inicio, pues ellas han tenido malas experiencias con el feminismo. Una gran acierto: que ellas a través de la práctica descubren un feminismo cercano, asequible, algo que YA estaba en ellas. IAP: participación...no podemos entender la participación como asistencia, como cumplir normas..etc... En este proceso surgieron otras formas de participación.

18 MUJER FRONTERA Propuestas de intervención desde mujeres que han sufrido la trata + THE LINK Nos facilita imaginar el papel de las mujeres como conectoras en una red, si pensamos metafóricamente la red como una telaraña Women are the spider that spins the web (of relations, experiences, contacts). Women are the thread that crosses from one side the other; they are the knot that holds the thread. Women are the web (flexible and strong) where other women walk. Each thread they spin is a new path, a new connection..

19 A fallingtreemakesmore noise thana growingforest...

20 ...and to break stereotypes We, migrant women, not only act through our feelings... but we are politically positioned. Women who have suffered from trafficking are not only victims but also social actors. We, migrant women, don t need that others talk on behalf of us. Women who have suffered from trafficking can not only contribute to awareness-rising, but also conduct research. We, migrant women, do not necessarily need to walk the paths traced for migrants.

21 Strategies that have allowed me to apply FPAR (1) 1. THEORETICAL FRAME: Explaining women that their stories and suggestions are supported by theoretical discourse such as post-colonialism, border thinking, and liberation psychology gives them more confidence in participating because they identify themselves as bearers of knowledge, not just single individual stories... BORDER THINKING refers to different belongings and subverts and challenges the physicla and intellectual territory we move through. Allows to think beyond identity politics. Defines types and roles of citizenships based on acknowledgement, not only on integration of migrant women. Unmasks and challenges hegemonic/white/male/post-colonial discourses.