* Photo: AA-Archive
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Aimed at raising awareness about the worldwide struggle against human trafficking, "Be My Voice" campaign has been launched on the occasion of July 30 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
Financed by the European Union (EU) and Turkey, the campaign is run by the Directorate General of Migration Management. As part of the campaign, Fadik Sevin Atasoy, a well-known actress in Turkey, has supported the campaign, saying "Be my voice" and telling the story of a victim.
The campaign has reminded the audience that "human trafficking is a grave crime committed against humanity."
Urging people to "be the voice of victims," the video has also noted, "You can touch the life of a person and be a hope by calling YİMER 157."
Reiterating that human trafficking is a crime against humanity, the campaign has also raised concerns about the issue in following words:
"Human trafficking is considered to be modern slavery in our time. Unlike slavery in the past, we are now faced with it as the sexual abuse and labor exploitation of many more people, especially women and children, who are benefited in ways incompatible with human dignity.
"An effective struggle needs to be waged against exploitation all across the world, awareness needs to be raised among the society about this issue and the victims need to be rescued and supported. Moreover, as it is the 'human' who is benefited from in the offense of human trafficking, it needs to be remembered that it is in our hands to ensure that victims are saved."
About World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
The United Nations (UN) shares the following information about human trafficking across the world and explains how July 30 is marked as the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in following words:
"Human trafficking is a crime that exploits women, children and men for numerous purposes including forced labour and sex. Since 2003 the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has collected information on about 225,000 victims of trafficking detected worldwide.
"In 2010, the General Assembly adopted the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, urging Governments worldwide to take coordinated and consistent measures to defeat this scourge.
"In 2013, the General Assembly held a high-level meeting to appraise the Global Plan of Action. Member States also adopted resolution A/RES/68/192 and designated July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons.
"Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit, or destination for victims. Traffickers the world over continue to target women and girls.
The vast majority of detected victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and 35 per cent of those trafficked for forced labour are female.
"Conflict further exacerbates vulnerabilities, with armed groups exploiting civilians and traffickers targeting forcibly displaced people.
"Data also shows that trafficking happens all around us as the share of persons trafficked within their own country has doubled in recent years to 58 per cent of all detected victims, according to the 2018 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons." (HA/SD)