First Lady Introduces a Strategy to Stem Human Trafficking at Conference in Bahrain

The First Lady of the Dominican Republic, Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, revealed details of the strategy she and her office have established to stamp out the practice of human trafficking. The Dominican First Lady is attending the “Human Trafficking at the Crossroads” Conference in Bahrain’s capital city of Manama. Mrs. Cedeño de Fernández presented her strategy titled, “National Strategies for Combating Human Trafficking.”

Through the CTC’s, the First Lady has assumed the challenge of turning information technology and communication into an opportunity to train more than 100,000 families…

The First Lady expressed her concern at the far reach of this scourge. She is working to create an educational model of prevention, using the 58 Community Technology Centers (CTC) and the volunteer network of the Progresando Program as a platform for action.

Through the CTC’s, the First Lady has assumed the challenge of turning information technology and communication into an opportunity to train more than 100,000 families now living in extreme poverty in the use of Internet as a tool for prevention, research, raising awareness and following up on cases of human trafficking as well as other situations of personal and social risk.

The community radios that function from the Community Technology Centers report, alert and raise the consciousness of people living in remote communities around the country.

Both actions help in the struggle against ignorance and naiveté, the main elements exploited by unscrupulous people against their innocent victims who end up losing their chances for development, well-being and happiness.

Dr. Cedeño de Fernández took advantage of her participation at the conference to deliver an Internet Portal of global reach which will serve as a platform for coordination, communication and diffusion of the successful activities and practices in the tireless struggle against human trafficking. She did this with the goal of consolidating synergy and promoting initiatives against this sinister practice, according to the President’s Office.

The prevention strategy emanating from the Office of the First Lady is complemented by training programs such as vocational technology training, food security and income generating programs for poor families. They are part of the commitment assumed by the First Lady last year at the Vienna Forum Against Human Trafficking. The wife of President Leonel Fernández was invited to attend this Conference by Her Majesty Shaikha Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, wife of the King of Bahrain and President of the Supreme Council of Female Leaders Against Human Trafficking.

The Dominican First Lady emphasized the importance of designing and re-orienting public policies to become more innovative and efficient in their efforts to reduce the vulnerability of people from all types of exploitation. She reiterated the importance of education and the use of awareness campaigns as preventative measures.

The First Lady of Egypt, Suzanne Mubarak, was at the conference. Mrs. Mubarak is the President and Founder of the Women’s International Peace Movement. Also present was Antonio Costa, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

CNN’s Marketplace Middle East Host, John Defterios acted as moderator of the conference. Panelists included H.E. Renuka Chowdhury, Minister for the Development of Women and Children; H.E. Anwar Gargash, Foreign Affairs Minister; H.E. Sheik Abdul Aziz bin Mubarack Al Khalifa, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Bahrain; Baroness Mary Goudie, Member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom and co-president of the Council of Women Leaders; H.E. Yasutoshi Nishimura, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Mr. Shafik Gabar, President and Executive Director of the Artoc Group for Investment and Development.

In 2003, Law 137-03 concerning the “Illegal Trafficking of Migrants and Human Trafficking” was passed. In 2007, the National Commission Against Human Trafficking was created.

Bahrain is a small country in the Persian Gulf. It is part of a group of five islands of which Bahrain is the largest. The Arabic name for the country is Mamlakat al-Bahrayn which literally means the “Kingdom of the two Seas.”