REGIONAL
WOMEN AS POWERFUL AGENTS OF CHANGE
On 29 June 2020 , GLO . ACT celebrated a milestone ; the official launch of the GLO . ACT Women ’ s Network . Under the joint partnership of UNODC and IOM the Network unites gender champions from the GLO . ACT partner countries in a bid to address and challenge the heavily gendered nature of human trafficking and migrant smuggling .
Reports such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ’ s ( UNODC ) 2018 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons repeatedly demonstrate that human trafficking disproportionately affects women and girls , with sexual exploitation being the most detected form . Yet women are gravely underrepresented in institutions responding to both trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants .
The Women ’ s Network seeks to counter this . By providing a platform through which members can both provide support to one another when things go wrong and share best practices when things go right , the Network will function as a magnifying forum through which barriers to empowerment and progression can be identified and ultimately dismantled . In the words of Afshan Tehseen , Chairperson of the National Commission on Rights of Children in Pakistan , “ it is the right step , in the right direction , at the right time ”.
The initial idea for the Women ’ s Network was conceived in 2019 , when the GLO . ACT team conducted several rounds of informal consultations , in-country visits and meetings with the authorities and civil society .
During these consultations , stakeholders confirmed their strong interest and commitment to reinforcing national gender mainstreaming efforts which would in turn , result in more effective national responses to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling and render justice to its victims . These discussions culminated in a commitment to conduct a regional consultation towards the constitution of a Women ’ s Network , which was first announced during a GLO . ACT Special Event in Brussels to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence .
Following this event , in May 2020 the GLO . ACT team organized a regional consultation in order to better understand the needs and expectations of the participants . Due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic , the event was moved to an online forum and featured keynote speeches from several GLO . ACT countries , including the Deputy Minister for the Interior of Afghanistan , Hosna Jalil and the
Deputy Minister for the Interior of the Islamic Republic of Iran , Rahim Saki .
Prior to the regional consultation , the GLO . ACT team asked participants to complete an anonymous survey . A recurring theme highlighted as one of the biggest challenges related to both the performance of duties and career progression was gender-stereotyping and the perception that women had inferior capabilities to men . During the event , participants discussed these challenges and brainstormed further thematic focus areas for the Network . These insights , collectively with inputs gathered during previous consultations , informed the content of the Roadmap to Action – a visual document that aims to guide the progression of the Network through its infancy and allow for its continuation and stability long after the formal conclusion of the GLO . ACT project .
Ensuring the sustainability of the Network is crucial . For that reason , the Network will be wholly owned by female and male gender champions and influencers , meaning that participants will benefit from opportunities for professional development , exposure , and peer exchange whilst simultaneously being expected to contribute their experiences , information and expertise in order to achieve the collective goals of the network . Speaking at the official launch on 29 June 2020 , the Executive Director of UNODC , Ghada Fathy Waly , encouraged members to use the network to “ amplify your collective expertise , experience and influence , and to help each other , so we can better help and protect trafficking victims and smuggled migrants , leaving no one behind .” At the same event , Laura Thompson , Deputy Director General , IOM said “ from 2018 to 2020 women and girls composed 48 per cent of migrants , creating both opportunities and risks . The migrant ’ s gender , gender identity and sexual orientation shape the migratory experience . Our migration policies and procedures must take these elements into consideration and be developed in a gender sensitive manner . To facilitate this , it is important to ensure increased participation and higher representation of women in leadership , planning and decision-making .”
Following the Network ’ s launch , GLO . ACT supported the constitution of an Advisory Board that will actively contribute to the strategy of the Network and advise on activities and effective context-tailored approaches . This board includes gender champions with different profiles such as high-level governmental representatives , policy makers , diplomats , civil
11