Ashshash Phase II: For Men and Women Who Have Escaped Trafficking
Duration: April 15, 2024 - August 31, 2024
The Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) is engaged as an awareness and prevention partner in the project titled "Ashshash Phase II: For Men and Women Who Have Escaped Trafficking." This initiative aims to enhance mass awareness and promote community-level understanding to combat human trafficking.
Human trafficking is a longstanding issue, with Bangladesh serving both as an origin and a transit country. Estimates suggest that annually, 1 to 2 million individuals, including women, men, and children, are trafficked worldwide, with approximately 225,000 victims hailing from South Asia. In 2012, irregular migration from Bangladesh and Burma to Malaysia via sea routes from Teknaf emerged as a significant challenge for the Government of Bangladesh. Research conducted by RMMRU revealed that 5.1% of current migrants and 3.1% of returnee migrants experienced blackmail or extortion in their destination countries.
Against this backdrop, RMMRU has selected Dhaka, Narsingdi, and Manikganj as its operational areas. Both Manikganj and Narsingdi, alongside Dhaka, require focused interventions aimed at addressing the root causes of vulnerability, raising awareness, and providing support services to effectively prevent and combat human trafficking.
To address these challenges, RMMRU plans to conduct extensive awareness campaigns utilizing various tools and mediums, including community radio programs, courtyard meetings, school-based programs, and wall paintings. The organisation aims to collaborate with Community-based Trafficking Survivors’ Union Development Committees (CTS UDCs), government and non-government institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), local platforms, and Sustainable Reintegration Partners (SPs) to provide comprehensive support services to survivors. These services will include identification, psychosocial counseling, economic empowerment, and referrals to legal and healthcare services.
Objectives:
- Improve the physical, social, and economic well-being of trafficking survivors, particularly men and women who have escaped trafficking.
- Strengthen institutional accountability and effectiveness in delivering services that benefit trafficking survivors.
- Raise mass awareness and campaign to enhance community-level understanding, gather evidence, and ensure justice at the local level.
Supported by: Supported by the Embassy of Switzerland and implemented by Winrock International.