The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) say women and girls continue to be major victims of trafficking across the world.
CEDAW, in a general recommendation, called on governments to pursue all appropriate means to eliminate trafficking in women and girls, highlighting the increasing use of social media to recruit trafficking victims during the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘The global pandemic has revealed the urgent need to address the use of digital technology in and against trafficking’, member of the committee, Dalia Leinarte, said.
Also, CEDAW called on social media and messaging companies to set up relevant controls to mitigate the risk of exposing women and girls to trafficking and sexual exploitation.
In addition, it asked the social media companies to use their big data to identify traffickers and involved parties from the demand side.
The committee urged governments to address the root causes that push women and girls into vulnerable situations.
‘Trafficking is a gendered crime, closely linked to sexual exploitation’, Leinarte said.
‘State parties must create appropriate conditions to ensure women and girls are free from the danger of trafficking’.
CEDAW called for public policies to provide women’s autonomy and equal access to education and job opportunities.
It also urged a gender responsive safe migration framework to protect women and girl migrants.
Source: OHCHR
Photo source: Imagens Evangélicas