A/HRC/41/46
Promotion of Human Rights, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reported that lack
of medical care, psychosocial support and social protection measures for victims of
trafficking, especially for children who had been forcibly recruited as child soldiers and for
victims of sexual slavery, weakened the social tissue of a society and hampered the
consolidation of peace, as it affected the community’s resilience and willingness to look for
peaceful and durable solutions.
44.
The provision of safe, satisfactory and affordable accommodation is another
important step to ensure survivors’ autonomy and social inclusion. Two organizations in
Poland – La Strada, the Foundation against Human Trafficking and Slavery; and Po MOC,
the Mary Immaculate Association for Women and Children – run the National Intervention
and Consultation Centre for Victims of Trafficking, which, by means of government
funding, provides every victim with a case manager who assists them in various ways, such
as the preparation of documents required to regularize residence, and searching for
accommodation and employment. In Austria, the Government supports LEFÖ, an NGO that
provides women victims of trafficking with housing arrangements in residential buildings.
In practice, survivors have regular neighbours, communal spaces and shared responsibilities.
Counsellors from the organization accompany women and girls in this process, including
by discussing how to budget for household expenses, how to use the transportation system,
and where to buy what, and how, with the ultimate aim of facilitating their social inclusion.
Similarly, On the Road is an NGO that sets up residential accommodation options for
trafficked persons in Italy, to ensure their full autonomy as the final step in the social
inclusion process.39 While very often specialized shelters are able to provide a wide range
of medical and social aid, this approach needs further development to enable trafficked
persons to enjoy different types of accommodation, depending on their recovery status. The
above-mentioned practices offer flexible arrangements that can be easily adapted to
survivors’ needs in the long term. Unfortunately, in some countries, accommodation or
access to services is limited to individuals who have regular status in the country.
45.
It was also reported that shelters for trafficked persons are almost exclusively
designed for women and children. On this matter, challenges have been identified regarding
the lack of shelters for trafficked men. Serious challenges also exist concerning the choice
of the most appropriate accommodation for transgender persons who have been trafficked.
(d)
Developing recreational activities
46.
Recreational activities can be particularly effective in achieving social inclusion.
Several promising practices exist in this field, though most of them are carried out by civil
society organizations who heavily rely on donors’ funding. In the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, the Home Office’s Child Trafficking Protection Fund
supports a project that provides therapeutic group work for young people who have been
trafficked internally. The therapy is designed to increase young people’s ability to develop
healthy relationships, team skills and confidence, with the overall aim of increasing
resilience and preventing retrafficking. This model also includes activities such as horse
riding and horse care as a creative way of supporting young people healing from their
trauma. Similarly, the Helen Bamber Foundation provides a range of activities to its
beneficiaries, including English language and computing classes, as well as drawing,
painting, photography, football and singing groups. An essential part of the programme has
been to develop links with local colleges, universities and businesses that provide
opportunities for survivors to improve the skills they need in order to re-enter the workforce.
In the Republic of Korea, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family offers victims of
sexual exploitation a wide range of programmes, which include art, music, dance and play
therapies, that have reportedly led to positive results. 40 In Norway, the Christian
39
40
Elimination of Discrimination against Women, general recommendation No. 35 (2017) on genderbased violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19, para. 33; and A/HRC/36/43,
para. 35.
Submission to the Special Rapporteur from On the Road.
A/70/222, para. 58.
13
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