KOK News

On the 28^th of March 2017, a joint expert talk of Bread for the World and the KOK treated the topic “Trafficking in Human Beings with the purpose of labour exploitation and serious labour exploitation of women”. The invited experts discussed whether women in the area of trafficking in human beings with the purpose of labour exploitation or serious labour exploitation are less noticed and what potential reasons may look like. The experts assessed unanimously the event as well as the basis of the talk, the study “Menschenhandel zum Zweck der Arbeitsausbeutung und schwere Arbeitsausbeutung von Frauen – Ein nicht gesehenes Phänomen?” (Trafficking in Human Beings with the purpose of labour exploitation and serious labour exploitation of women – an unnoticed phenomenon?), as an important impulse.

Mrs. Dr. Luise Steinwachs from Bred for the World opened the event. Apart from the author of the study, Janina Mittwalli, two representatives from counselling centres were invited as speakers: Katrin Kirstein from Koofra, the counselling centre against trafficking of women in Hamburg, and Sylwia Timm of the counselling centre Faire Mobilität in Berlin. Both put the main emphasis in their inputs on supporting structures and victim rights. Carsten Moritz (BKA, Federal Criminal Police Office), Heike Rabe (German Institute for Human Rights), Dominique John (Project Faire Mobilität) and Naile Tanis (KOK) held the panel discussion. Together, these experts examined from their perspective the reasons given in the study and worked on recommended courses of action. The audience, consisting of persons with varying professional backgrounds, contributed valuable remarks and ideas to this discussion.

All the persons involved shared the opinion that the topic of women as persons affected by labour exploitation needs to receive more attention in the future and that better ways to reach affected women and to facilitate the access to the justice are required.