Forum

How to combat the women trafficking in Macedonia?

This time, we dedicate the regular column "Forum" to the specific trafficking with people, opening the question "Which ways shall we combat the women trafficking in Macedonia". Two civic associations participate with their views on the actual problem, and the third planned participant, the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not submit its views. The Forum is also open for you on the address: www.graganskisvet.org.mk or www.civicworld.org.mk, where we ask you to apply under your full name and surname, stating the name of your association, if member of any.

Vesna Kosteska - Association of Women Lawyers - "TEMIS"
"The successful fight against trafficking with people, especially with women and children, takes cooperation and coordination of the activities by all parties involved in this fight, such as the police, the customs officials, the court, the prosecutor's office and other government bodies and institutions, as well as the national and international nongovernmental organizations. speaking of that, we should bear in mind the fact that Macedonia is still a country of transit and a final destination, and not a country of origin. We do not have official data by the Ministry of Internal Affairs about women trafficking in other countries. However, according some unofficial data by local NGOs, the Republic of Macedonia is becoming a country of origin to victims of trafficking, which are most often taken to Italy and there is also some information about the existence of internal trafficking, especially with the juveniles. Therefore, we consider that the prevention is very important for stopping the women trafficking and it has an important place in the general fight against it and the efforts to prevent Macedonia become a country of origin. As an important factor I would state the policemen's education as the first people who have contact with the victims, for the correct identification of the victims. As a country of transit and final destination, we will have to work a lot on raising the public awareness about this problem, develop a programme for protection of the victims of trafficking with people, as well as measures for their reintegration. So far, the commonest means used by the traders are deceit and false advertisements for a well-paid job.

Stanka Markoska - Open gate - La strada
Our programme for prevention covers giving prevention lectures and distributing prevention materials in the educational institutions. In order to provide more efficient prevention on the level of the whole country and transfer their knowledge and expertise in the field of prevention of trafficking with people to other non-governmental organizations from the country, Open gate has started realizing a new a new project called "Network of non-governmental organizations and mutual implementation of a campaign for raising the public awareness about trafficking with people". We consider it necessary to adopt a victim protection programme as soon as possible, in order to maximize the protection of the victim's identity as a precondition for their encouragement and volunteer appearance as witnesses in courts. The witness protection programme will provide faster solution of the case and successful completion of the legal procedure. It is also necessary that Macedonia ratify as quickly as possible the "Palermo Protocol" as the most powerful weapon in the fight against trafficking with people.

 

K.B.