| dc.description.abstract | This report presents the results ofan international investigation on trafficking in women, forced labour and slavery-like practices in the context of marriage,domestic labour and prostitution, carried out by the Dutch Foundation Against Trafficking in Women (stv) and the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (gaatw).Apreliminary version ofthis report was presented to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women,Mrs.Radhika Coomaraswamy,to inform her ofthe current situation and debates on the issue oftrafficking in women,forced labour and slavery-like practices.
Many people co-operated in compiling this report.We would like to express our gratitude to the members ofthe Advisory Committee – Lesley Roberts,Gail Pheterson,RoelofHaveman, Siriporn Skrobanek and Welmoed Koekebakker – for their unfailing, critical and warm support and for sharing with us their knowledge and experience.RoelofHaveman and Gail Pheterson also assisted in the final writing ofthis report.RoelofHaveman supported us in writing chapter 2 and 5,Gail Pheterson wrote the summary (chapter 10).Special thanks are due to our consultants in the various continents: Yamila Azize-Vargas,Florence Butegwa, Lisa Kois, Johanna Bond, Jyoti Sanghera, Sarah Johnston and Siriporn Skrobanek. Without their expertise, enthusiasm and above all hard work this report would not have been possible.We also thank Trees Mom,our research consultant.Kamala Kempadoo and Jo Doezema read the first draft and gave us their careful and valuable comments.Marjolein Sol processed the data ofthe questionnaire and kept the office going.In the last phase ofthe report she was replaced by Corine van Reeuwijk.Without their support we would have been lost in chaos.
Last but not least,we thank all the organizations and persons who are actively addressing the issue in their local situations and who were willing to share with us their information and experiences by sending us reports and other documents and by making the effort to complete the questionnaires.This certainly was not an easy job given the complexity and extent ofthe questionnaire.
The whole project, including the work of the regional consultants, was made possible through the generous financial support of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs,Directorate General Development Co-operation (dgis),the Dutch development organizations novib,icco,hivosand bilance,the Dutch feminist fund Mama Cash,and the Danish development organization kulu.
Finally,we thank the Special Rapporteur,who provided the unique and valuable opportunity to compile such a global report on a form ofviolence against women which many people consider inconceivable in the twentieth century.
This report is written in the hope that it will contribute to the development ofnew conceptual frameworks and strategies to combat trafficking in women, forced labour and slavery-like practices, which are based on the legal and social recognition of women as autonomous individuals in all spheres oflife and work.
Marjan Wijers and Lin Lap-Chew International Report Project Research Team February 1997 | en_US |
