2004

Synthesis Study on Human Trafficking and Smuggling in Terms of Impact on Poverty Reduction

Human trafficking and smuggling are increasingly significant components of human migration across the world, both in terms of volume and the connections with criminal activity. A major motivation of those who are trafficked or smuggled for employment is the alleviation of their own, or their family's poverty. This short study provided recommendations on how the Department for International Development (DfID) could maximise the benefits and minimise the risks of migration through addressing human trafficking and smuggling, and its impact on poverty reduction.

Aims:

• Review existing knowledge on the extent to which migration and remittances contribute to poverty reduction;
• Analysis of global legal and illegal migration;
• Explore the extent to which trafficking and smuggling are part of the migration processes, and the dangers involved;
• Critical gender analysis of existing legal migration routes;
• Analyse legal and policy frameworks at international, regional and national levels, that can maximise the earning potential of migrants and minimise the extent to which they are economically and socially marginalized.

Authors: Liz Kelly, P Sen

Survey of Trafficking in Persons in Central Asia

This one-year project focused on the assessment of the incidence of trafficking in persons for Central Asia, with particular emphasis on the link between labour migration and trafficking in women and children, as well as transit and destination patterns.

The study focuses on data collected from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Various estimated figures suggest that each of these countries has developing trafficking problems with inter-regional flows.

Methodology;

• Secondary analysis of country-level data
• Previous research and reliable media coverage;
• Official statistics and records including court cases;
• Analysis of data collected by 5 national researchers through 92 structured interviews and focus groups;
• Feild visists to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Major flows of trafficking for labour exploitation within the region and out to Russia were documented alongside emerging routes for sexual exploitation to Israel, the Gulf States and Lebanon.

The report asks key questions about whether the relationship between trafficking and smuggling is best understood as a continnum

See Research Report: Fertile Fields: Trafficking in Persons in Central Asia

Author: Liz Kelly

British Council Seminar: New Approaches to Addressing Violence Against Women

Liz Kelly and Linda Regan of The Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU) are the Seminar Directors for this, the fourth international seminar on violence against women that they have run for the British Council (assisted by Jo Lovett). This event was a week-long residential seminar open to participants from all over the world. The seminar examined new approaches and multi-agency partnerships that have been designed to improve the response to rape/sexual assault, domestic violence and abuse in the sex industry in the UK, and aimed to facilitate the sharing of experience and ideas on working towards strategies and solutions, which can be implemented at local, regional and national levels.

View the details of this event at the British Council Website.

Author: Liz Kelly

Violence Against Women Strategy

This publication presents an argument for an integrated, long-term government-led strategy for addressing all forms of violence against women and girls. Analysis was undertaken of the most recent targets and initiatives of all government departments in order to assess the extent to which gender equality and violence against women are mainstreamed.

The underlying research is underpinning ongoing work by the WNC to inform an audit of departmental responses year on year.

See Research Report: What a Waste: The Case for an Integrated Violence Against Women Strategy.

See also Campaigns in respect of the End Violence Against Women Coalitionhttp://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/, and their recent report; Making the Grade: An Independent analyisis of Government initiatives on violence against women

Authors: Liz Kelly, Jo Lovett

Study and Report on Lapdancing

The study was requested to support the Glasgow CityCouncil's concerns about lap dancing and table dancing. This is the first of its kind in the UK, based largely on observations within the six clubs, and interviews with key actord and informants.

Conclusions:

• Lap dancing clubs are part of the sex industry;
• Lap dancing is increasingly normalised;
• The buying and selling of sexual services does occur in some lap dance clubs;
• Current licensing conditions are inadequate;
• Working conditions and terms of employment of lap dancers are exploitative;
• Dancers are subjected to humiliation and sexual harassment on a regular basis, from customers and staff/management;

Recommendations:

• Local authorities should have wider powers regarding licensing;
• Clubs should be licensed under the same conditions as sex shops;
• Employment practice and working conditions for the dancers should be conditions of the license;
• Regularise licensing regulation and codes of conduct for dancers and club rules/conditions;
• Subject to regular, obligatorychecks,licensing/enforcement staff;

See Research Report:Profitable Exploits! Lap Dancing in the UK

Author: Julie Bindel

Co-ordination Action on Human Rights Violations (CAHRV) Review

CAHRV is a three-year project conducted through a collaborative effort of research institutions, policy networks, and individual researchers, including CWASU. The project addresses human rights violations in the context of inter-personal relationships.

CAHRV aims to review and integrate research that addresses the linkages between violence and violent masculinity, on the one hand, and dominance, hierarchy, social inclusion/exclusion, on the other hand. While the project will explore men's experiences as victims, it simultaneously will analyse how men create and reproduce hegemonic forms of masculinity and social exclusion, including racism. In recent years, racism and xenophobia have become central concerns on the agenda of the European Union, partly as a result of inward migration and the enlargement of the Union eastward.

Major goals of the project are to:

• integrate parallel research discourses on violence;
• unify the theoretical and empirical basis for policy;
• stimulate new, interdisciplinary and transnational research;
• support practitioners, policy-makers, and scientists by facilitating the dissemination of knowledge and expertise.

CAHRV is structured into four sub-networks, one for each thematic area. These four central thematic areas are:

Identifying and profiling victimisation (Sub-Network 1);

Analysing the roots of interpersonal violence (Sub-Network 2);

Intervening with gender-based human rights violations (Sub-Network 3).

Identifying protective factors (Sub-Network 4). Adopting the World Health Organisation' s ecological model, CAHRV will review and integrate research on multiple levels of potentially protective factors, from individual characteristics, to the family micro system, social and community networks, and the wider culture. This model, though widely used as a conceptual tool, has received little empirical attention in a holistic way.

CWASU' s Director sits on the Steering Committee of this Sub- Network. The Sub-Network's objectives are;

1. To identify, document and map out research on countering human rights violations and developing security and protective factors in areas relevant to families, intergenerational relations, work and conflict resolution.

2. By comparative study, develop grounded hypotheses on how those who are vulnerable or victimised can be given the psychological and social resources and skills for confident and secure lives free of violence and conflict.

 

For further details please see the CAHRV website:

http://www.cahrv.uni-osnabrueck.de/

Author: Liz Kelly

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