Efforts to prevent trafficking of women.
(Baonghean) - The situation of kidnapping and trafficking of women in Con Cuong district has become extremely complex in recent years. Taking advantage of women's naivety, gullibility, and the rugged terrain, human traffickers use all kinds of tricks to deceive, threaten, and kidnap women to sell them to criminals across the border.
VT H, born in 1997, from Hong Thang village, Don Phuc commune, was lured by an unknown woman to go work far away, but in reality, the woman sold H to a factory owner in China. Fortunately, she escaped and returned home, but even now, H cannot hide her fear. She shared: "Because of difficult family circumstances, I followed the persuasion of a woman to go to China hoping to earn extra income to help my family. However, after crossing the border, I was imprisoned, tortured, and forced to work hard. There, many other Vietnamese women and children shared the same fate as me. Luckily, during a moment of carelessness by the factory guards, I managed to escape and contact the Vietnamese border guards. After that, I was brought back home."
The case of VT H is just one of many victims of human trafficking occurring in the mountainous district of Con Cuong. According to a report by the Con Cuong District Police, from 2011 to 2014 alone, the district police received 14 complaints against individuals involved in illegal emigration. Of these, the district police investigated and clarified 5 cases involving 8 suspects; and prosecuted 4 cases involving 4 defendants related to the trafficking of women and children. A prime example is Case 814N, "combating human trafficking crimes," which led to the arrest of Vi Van Vien (born in 1966), residing in Lang Yen village, Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district, for trafficking 5 people to China.
Faced with the complex situation of trafficking in women and children, the Women's Union of Con Cuong district actively coordinated with various departments, organizations, and local authorities to organize many forms of propaganda and legal education to raise awareness among women in villages. Specifically, this included: holding community meetings, integrating it into women's union activities; performing short plays and skits with content promoting the prevention and control of human trafficking; hanging banners and slogans, distributing leaflets, and opening many legal education book collections in villages; coordinating with the police force and youth union to organize legal communication on preventing and combating human trafficking. The Union selected seven particularly disadvantaged communes to hold rallies and parades on preventing and combating human trafficking, attracting more than 3,500 participants. In addition, maintaining the effective operation of women's clubs in each village has created a shift in awareness, helping women better understand the consequences of being deceived into working far from home, thereby equipping themselves with knowledge and skills to prevent and combat human trafficking.
A prime example is the "Shield" Club in Hong Dien village, Don Phuc commune. Established in July 2013, the "Shield" Club has attracted 30 members. Regularly, once a week, the club holds women's meetings, combining them with communication and prevention efforts against human trafficking. Through various forms of propaganda, including documents, images, and real-life stories about the schemes, tactics, and methods of human traffickers, the awareness of women in Hong Dien village has been raised; the buying, selling, and luring of women to work far from home has been brought under control. Ms. La Thi Ha, President of the Women's Union of Con Cuong district, said: Another important solution to keep women in the locality is to actively support economic development, create jobs, and increase income for members. Accordingly, the Women's Union of the district has maintained the operation of more than 500 savings groups, calling on nearly 6,000 members to donate more than 190 million VND, providing loans to more than 350 women in need of capital for business.
Each year, using budget funds, the Women's Union of the district organizes 2-4 vocational training classes for women, mainly in brocade weaving, broom making, and new trades such as vermicelli making, rice paper making, and cooking. As a result, after training, about 30-40% of the women continue to pursue and develop their skills, earning an additional 2-3 million VND per month.
As a result, by June 30, 2015, the number of women working away from home in Con Cuong district had decreased to 1,091, of which 38 had disappeared without a trace. This result shows that, in addition to the decisive involvement of the local authorities and functional forces, the Women's Union at all levels in Con Cuong district has demonstrated its role and responsibility in the prevention and combat of trafficking in women and children.
Van Anh
