WUNRN
ISRAEL - FIGHTING FOR COMPENSATION
FOR TRAFFICKING VICTIMS
ON A CRIMINAL BASE -
ISHA L'ISHA
Isha L’Isha, established in 1983, is the oldest grassroots
feminist organization in Israel and one of the leading voices of women’s rights
in the country. Isha L’Isha is based in Haifa and works primarily in the
northern part of Israel. However, many of the organization's projects focus on
implementing system-wide solutions to issues pertaining to women's lives. As a
result, Isha L'Isha has a national influence, reaching target audiences
throughout the country.
Fighting Against Trafficking & Prostitution in Women Project
Isha L'Isha has been on the forefront of the fight against trafficking in women since 2002, and has gained extensive professional expertise in the field. In eight years of anti-trafficking work, the organization has gained extensive experience in sex client education campaigns, public awareness-raising lectures and workshops, advocacy work, legal consultation, direct intervention and empowerment of victims to reintegrate them into the community, coalition-building and networking with NGOs in source countries to help victims in their safe return home, and in organizing multi-national seminars.
Compensation for Trafficking Victims on a Criminal Base
“In May 2009, and after a whole year of search, I finally succeeded in locating M from Moldova, who had been trafficked to Israel for purposes of sexual exploitation. M had suffered a very harsh abuse in Israel, and during her testimony she was kidnapped and sent back to Moldova under life threats. The court of law ordered her trafficker to pay a sum of 7,000 NIS to M and her friends. After a number of years, the trafficker suddenly paid his fine. As soon as I found M’s phone number I called her and told her the news that there is compensation money waiting for her and that we can help her receive this money. M’s reaction was very emotional: she did not want anything to do with her trafficker, not even compensation money. I felt that she didn’t believe me and that she was even scared of me. I asked her to think about it before she signs a concession letter, saved her phone number and decided to think about what I want to do.
The following day, I called M again, and after a long conversation, I succeeded in gaining her trust. We contacted our partner IOM in Moldova, who were willing to provide her with the necessary assistance even though five years have passed since the case. They integrated her into a rehabilitation and professional training program in order to prevent her from searching for a “tempting” job abroad under uncertain conditions. Today, M is a mother to a child, lives in Moldova and is unemployed. Soon she will be receiving $ 1,700 that will give her hope and opportunity to begin a new life, and even acquire a profession or higher education.
This year, within the framework of the Fighting against Trafficking and Prostitution in Women, we dealt with 12 cases of compensation for trafficking victims. Since 2002, we helped 52 trafficked women receive compensation.
The process of obtaining compensation money is very complex, and sometimes we are unable to locate the entitled women. Some of these women were trafficked in 2002 and were deported, and there is no hint as to her location. In other cases, the women themselves are not willing to receive any money from their traffickers or they do not believe or trust us, as was the initial case with M.
We believe that compensation money will prevent trafficking victims from travelling abroad and falling for suspicious tempting jobs. The compensation money enables them to begin a new life in their own community and to live in dignity.
We would not have been able to help victims receive compensation without our partner organizations in the Former Soviet Union who help us and are willing to sign a power of attorney or identify a trafficking victim. We wish to thank the IOM branches in Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Belarus, local NGOs in Ukraine, ISTIQBOLLI AVLOD - an NGO network in Uzbekistan, the Angel Coalition in Moscow, and WINROCK Khabarovsk and other organizations, all of whom are involved in helping trafficked women receive their compensation and make great efforts in their work. Without their help and fruitful cooperation, we would not succeed in this important work.”
Rita Chaikin
Anti-Trafficking Project Coordinator
Isha L’Isha—Haifa Feminist Center
English: http://www.isha.org.il/default.php?lng=3
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