SENATE President Mabel Chinomona says 128 women who were victims of human trafficking have been repatriated to the country from several countries.
Many Zimbabweans, especially women, have been lured mainly
to the Middle East where they have been forced into back-breaking domestic work
and sex slavery.
Some are lured by false job promises and end up being
stranded.
Addressing participants at an enforcement forum for women
parliamentarians in Kigali, Rwanda yesterday, Chinomona said the majority of
the female victims were lured by promises of well-paying jobs offered by
networks without realising the nature of their future employment or the working
conditions.
“In recent years, the Zimbabwean government learnt that
about 200 of its female citizens had been trafficked after falling prey to
human trafficking schemes. Efforts were made by the government to assist these
women, but only 128 women were rescued and repatriated home,” Chinomona said.
“The programme was conducted in collaboration with the
International Organisation of Migration, which assisted with funding for
medical and psycho-social support to the identified victims.
“The Trafficking in Persons Protocol is a commendable
international agreement which calls for the criminalisation of trafficking of
persons as well as the provision of survivor-centred institutions or policies
for victims.”
Chinomona said Zimbabwe had criminalised human trafficking,
and offered survivor-centred programmes for victims.
“The law allows for compensation of victims of trafficking
by the perpetrator, such as loss of income, damage to property and medical
expenses, among other things".
“Through our representative function, as legislators we
also have a responsibility to share information with our constituents about
these human trafficking schemes, so that young girls and women do not fall
victim,” she said.
Foreign affairs deputy minister David Musabayana said the
repatriated women would be assisted by the Home Affairs and the Public Service,
Labour and Social Welfare ministries.
A 2016 report based on the Global Slavery Index estimated
that there may be about 480 000 people in some Middle East countries who live
in modern slavery. Newsday
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