Intersections of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence: Things to be aware of during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October

by B. Bullard

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month, a time for reflection and for increasing awareness about the high rate of intimate partner and familial violence that occurs in the U.S. and around the world.  As President Obama’s recent presidential proclamation indicates, despite many gains, “domestic violence remains a devastating public health crisis when one in four women will be physically or sexually assaulted by a partner at some point in her lifetime.”  It is also important to consider the many ways that human trafficking intersects with domestic violence.

Domestic violence is commonly considered a “push factor” for human trafficking.  Due to the increased vulnerability caused by an abusive relationship, victims of domestic violence can find themselves isolated and without access to the financial and emotional support needed to leave to a safe situation, which puts them at high risk for exploitation.  Domestic Violence can also be a push factor for those who become traffickers.  According to a recent study, 88% of the traffickers interviewed indicated that they had grown up in homes where domestic violence was present.

Physical abuse is not the only or most common form of abuse used in domestic violence and human trafficking. Typically psychological, emotional and economic abuses are more widespread. The Duluth Model Power and Control Wheel is a tool in the domestic violence field that examines the non-physical types of abuse that can occur in relationships such as economic control, using children, using threats, etc.  At Polaris Project, we have developed a similar tool called the Human Trafficking Power and Control Wheel that shows types of abuse found within various trafficking situations, many of which mirror that used in intimate partner and familial abuse.

Human trafficking and domestic violence can intersect in even more profound ways.   Intimate partners can force their partners into highly exploitative situations.  A partner can also be a human trafficker.  Intimate Partner Trafficking is not a type of trafficking that has been researched, prosecuted or discussed to the extent as other trafficking trends we see – but it does happen.  However, much like intimate partner rape, it is likely that this type of exploitation is highly underreported.   Familial Trafficking is another way that trafficking and domestic violence come into direct contact.  While it is difficult to believe that a mother, father, brother, sister could force a relative to engage in commercial sex or forced labor, this is a trend that we see in forced commercial sex situations as well as domestic servitude.

So this October while we strive to be more aware of domestic violence, we should also be aware of how it can impact our work in the anti-trafficking field and how important it is for all of us to work together to stop these abusive and exploitative crimes from occurring in our communities.

Realiti...~1



Pn.Norlilah Ismail



Tarikh: Hari ini..

Tempat: Di tanah kuburan

Situasi : Seorang isteri meriba anak kecil, dgn hati penuh sebak..baru semalam suami nya makan malam bersama..menyuap nasi ke mulut anak mereka. Baru semalam suami nya bergurau mahu anak dalam kandungan nya lahir lelaki...seperti ayah katanya....dan masih terngiang2 suara itu. Baru semalam suami nya...mencadang untuk mengecat rumah berwarna biru...( dalam hati isteri...biru bukan warna kegemaran suami nya..). masih ingat di benak jantung isteri; suami tiba tiba menyanyi bait bait lagu kegemaran mereka berdua, waktu mula mula berkenalan......walhal dah hampir 5 tahun lagu tu tidak kedengarannnnn......terbayang wajah suami ketika menyarungi jari nya dengan cicin pernikahan..sejuk terasa, gementar pastinya!!! Dan berbagai bagai kenangan lampau mengimbas kembali dalam minda..tetiba tangan isteri digerakkan oleh anak kecil di ribaannya...dan isteri kembali ke alam realiti...berada buat kali terakhir bersama suami......dan tanah mulai dikambus mengisi liang...sedikit demi sedikit menutupi, dan isteri langsung tidak mahu berkelip, langsung tak mahu melepaskan pandangan terakhir ini...... dan di sudut kejauhan hatinya, ...da sedar inilah realiti yang wajib dia terima...suami sudah tiada lagi................................

Tarikh: Hari ini

Tempat: Di kamar mahkamah

Situasi : Seorang ayah....tersekat nafas dan bergoncang jantung di dada...menerima hukuman paling berat!! Nak dikesali..sudah terlambat, nak kembalikan waktu...mustahil!!! Terpandang wajah isteri dan ibu yang sentiasa setia datang dan temani perbicaraan .....ya Allah, rasa seperti ada duri dalam perut,..sakit sakit sangat, nafas nya bertambah sempit.macam ada yang mengenggam kemas laluan udara di tengkoroknya... dialah anak, suami dan ayah yang paling bodoh yang mahu senang cara senang..yang mahu kaya dan bergaya. Fikirnya, takan buat sekali dah kena!!! ...buat sekali tu jeee.....dgn upah puluhan ribu, hidup akan senang..emaknya senang, isterinya senang, anak anak lagilah senang......kerja senang, naik bas ekspress dan bawa beg ....rasanya boleh kot!!! Memang dia tahu isi beg tu, memang dia tau risiko yang mengundang, memang dia tahu hukuman undang undang...tapi sekali jerr takan kena......kalau berjaya, sumpah tak nak buat dahhhh......itu janji dalam hatinya

Realiti kehidupan: malam tu, belum pun sampai destinasi, bas ekspress dah disekat polisi....tak bardaya nak mengelak, tak mampu nak berdalih, nak lari tak boleh, nak campak beg, cermin bas tak buka...oleh kerana baru pertama kali, senang jer...polisi kenal pasti....si ayah, dibawa ke kereta polis tangan bergari...dan kini hukuman sudah pasti..."mengejar senang, cara senang...nak kaya dan bergaya".....akhirnya, tanah tergadai buat bayar peguam, 10 tahun meringkok, berjuang untuk pembebasan...tapi taqdir yang menentukan..sayup kedengaran suara esakan isterinya.......yang tak sanggup dia tatapi....dan di tali gantung  hayatnya akan berakhir...tanpa gaya, langsung tak kaya, langsung tak senang...realitinya padah  risiko yang dicari

Tarikh : Hari ini

Tempat: Klinik

Situasi: Anak gadis memeluk tubuh, merengkok di atas katil rawatan....adooiiiiii.....sakit sakit sakit.... keseorangan, ketakutan..dan hati penuh marah, penuh benci, penuh kesal.....dan doktor pula sedang menyiapkan laporan, minta ambulan datang membawa nya ke hospital...gadis itu rancang nak lari, hajat nak blahhh.....tapi sakit yang tak tertanggung....nak berjalan pun tak berdaya, mulut menyumpah seranah...puaka punya jantan, setan punya buaya.....dan pendarahan tak dapat dihentikan.... terbayang wajah jantan tu, aarrghhh..bukan handsome sangat pun...bukan  pandai pun..budi bahasa langsung tak ade, harta lagi lahhhh...tapi kenapa begitu mudah jatuh padanya??? OUHHHH....bodohnya!!! gilenya!!!......memang gadis tau jantan tu tak boleh diharapkan, memang dia tau jantan tu takkan bertanggungjawab....nak tanggungjawab macam mana, kerja pun tak, rokok, top up dan minyak motor pun gadis yang support...minta dengan emak!!!...jadi apa yang buat gadis  mudah menyerah? apa yang buat gadis sayang giler pada jantan? ....nak bagi nak bagi......tak ade batasan......

realiti kehidupan: bila sangkut...si jantan tak percaya,..buat dek...hari berganti minggu, minggu berganti bulan....tiga bulan gadis tak boleh sorok dah, bila bersuara minta bertanggungjawab..Pangggg..menampar singgah di pipi gebu, yang dulu nya dicumbui...jantan naik motor terus belahhhh...call tak angkat sms tak balas...hilang langsung tak dapat dikesan...serabut kepala otak, gadis makan ubat yang dibeli di kedai ubat, pahit, maung, kelat, semua tanggung sendiri...tak lepas jugak,curi duit emak, pergi pulak ke dukun.....terpaksa sendirian, takut, dan sakit teramat....dan darah mula berdarah terus berdarah....gadis pitam di tepi jalan hingga dibawa ke klinik oleh entah sape yang gadis tak kenal ....realiti bahawa cinta murahan qurban murahan, tanggung sendiriannnn.

Benih Perkasa

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Yang kini memacu peradaban alam sejagat.



Nukilan,
Puan Norlilah Ismail

Woman Fighting Sex Slavery Named CNN Hero of the Year

From CNN:

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A woman whose group has rescued more than 12,000 women and girls from sex slavery has been named the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year.

Anuradha Koirala was chosen by the public in an online poll that ran for eight weeks on CNN.com. CNN's Anderson Cooper revealed the result at the conclusion of the fourth annual "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute."

"Human trafficking is a crime, a heinous crime, a shame to humanity," Koirala said earlier in the evening after being introduced as one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010. "I ask everyone to join me to create a society free of trafficking. We need to do this for all our daughters."

Koirala was introduced by actress Demi Moore, who along with her husband, Ashton Kutcher, created DNA, The Demi and Ashton Foundation, which aims to eliminate child sex slavery worldwide. "Every day this woman confronts the worst of what humanity has to offer," Moore said of Koirala. "She says, 'Stop. Stop selling our girls.' By raiding brothels and patrolling the India-Nepal border, she saves girls from being sold into the sex trade, where they are being repeatedly raped for profit, tortured and enslaved."