By Sharda Bacchus
Jane (not her real name) spent night after night with different men, all at the command of someone she once trusted. She was held against her will and made to feel like she had no other option at the time.
Jane, whose right name has been withheld, was a victim of human trafficking.
“As a victim, you are used to feed men’s sexual desires. Being able to sleep with that many people and live with myself and get up every day and keep doing it, just lying there helplessly was so hard.
“The emotional, physical, mental and psychological experience leaves a victim traumatised and therefore they need counselling to develop trust in their lives, to move forward into society,” Jane shared on Monday at an event in Georgetown.
Her years of endurance ended back in 2016 when she confronted her trafficker. The breakthrough came with assistance from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Countering Trafficking in Persons Unit.
Actions were taken and the individual was subsequently sentenced and ordered to pay restitution.
Though Jane, a young Guyanese mother of two, is reunited with her family, she is scarred for life.
“Trafficking in Persons is one of the bigger crime on young girls. So think deep, choose your environment and friends carefully.
“Should you have any uncertainty of people around you, seek help,” Jane shared.
Jane is among the more than 1,446 victims who were identified and supported by the Ministry’s Countering TIP Unit over the past several years.
But locals are not those who are more at risk.
Migrants account for more than 90% of human trafficking cases locally over the past five years, according to the Coordinator of the Countering Trafficking in Persons Unit, Tanisha Williams- Corbin.
Several initiatives have been undertaken to address the scourge and support the individuals affected. A new transitional center for victims of human trafficking is being built as one of those initiatives.
The $134 million center is being built at Cummings Lodge. It is expected to be completed before the end of this year and its amenities will include safe house, a Countering TIP unit and a space for the Police to conduct screening and interviews.
Beyond that, the unit for the first time has expanded its services to Region One with an office space in Mabaruma and is hoping to establish another in Region Seven before the end of this year.
The new Combatting of Trafficking of Persons law also paves the way for restitution for victims and harsher penalties for perpetrators.
To ensure those involved in tackling the issue and their roles and responsibilities are up to date, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday hosted a capacity building workshop in Georgetown.
The training was meant to ensure that stakeholders have a thorough understanding of the new legislation and to equip them with knowledge and tools necessary to identify and report suspected instances of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.
Addressing the opening, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn said while Guyana has managed to obtain its Tier 1 status in the US State Department 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report to tackle TIP, there is a “far way” to go.
“We are required to make sure that we do not create opportunity for the crimes of human trafficking, trafficking in persons, smuggling, pimping of persons and all the crimes that are related to the question of trafficking in persons.
“We have to work hard to afford, to allow, to reach out, to give the protection to those persons in rural and indigenous communities, particularly,” Benn said.
He added that there is also need for increase awareness and sensitivity of the issue.
“We have to always be aware of risks nationally….especially with migrants going through our country. Coming here they are at risk…Many of them need support.
“You got afford them the help and support in relation to what their needs are, particularly when they have children and are women,” Benn said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud highlighted that Guyana is making remarkable strides in countering Trafficking in Persons.
“This is a scourge, a heinous crime, it is illegal and I liken it to modern day slavery.
“We must recognise it, in the cases where persons live in remote, rural and hinterland areas into servitude and denied their freedom, their rights. We must not only recognise it but we must take action. If we see, we must say and when we say, we must follow up until action is taken,” Dr Persaud said.
July is National Human Trafficking month. It is being observed under the theme: “Forging Connections to expand services to victims of human trafficking”.
