Media tipped on human trafficking cases reporting
Following the enactment of the Trafficking in Persons Act in 2015, the media in the country have been tipped on how cases of human trafficking can better be relayed to the public.
Retired child justice magistrate, Esmie Tembenu, said there are still areas that the media need to look into when relaying information about trafficking cases.
Tembenu made the remarks yesterday during an orientation workshop on Trafficking in Persons Act to civil society organisations (CSOs) held in Blantyre.
Tembenu further observed that, at times, the names of victims of trafficking have been revealed which she said should not be the case.
The workshop was organised by Malawi Network against Trafficking in Persons (Mnet) and was facilitated by Eye of the Child.
Ten CSOs were invited for orientation on the law.
“It is time to engage church leaders, who also have a huge role to sensitise their congregants,” Tembenu said.
Executive Director for Eye of the Child, Maxwell Matewere, said the other intention of putting together CSOs was to make them aware that there is an umbrella body, Mnet, responsible for the implementation of the human trafficking law.
“Civil society organisations which work on similar goals do not often meet. This forum is also aimed at making them interact and make them work together,” he said.
However, Matewere argued that the figures of the people who have been trafficked in 2016 might be on the rise despite having the Trafficking in Persons Act.
“We are undertaking a study to find out where we are as a country in dealing away with human trafficking, but there are several factors pointing at increased figures. Examples are numerous, you can recall the 78 people who were rescuedd from South Africa, Balaka has its own stories and Dedza too,” he said.
Matewere said Eye of the Child is expected to release independent findings of cases of human trafficking in the country on February 27.
Human trafficking has been defined by the United Nations as the recruitment, transportation, transfer or receipt of persons by means of threat or other forms of coercion of abduction.
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