Monrovia – Deputy Labor Minister for Manpower Development has described human trafficking as one of the top criminal activities in the world in which he says women are the worst victims.
Minister Patrick S. M’bayo told an anti-human trafficking seminar Wednesday, that it is as a result of the lack of basic necessities, poverty, couple with environmental impact that most young women fall victim to such act increasing the rate of human trafficking across the World.
“The issue of human trafficking is very important to the management of human labor and the appropriate mechanisms must be put in place to ensure that we eliminate human trafficking around the World,” said Deputy Minister M’bayo. He wants security apparatus associated with the protection of human labor, rights and dignity to be strengthened in addressing the issue of human trafficking.
Minister M’bayo frowned at human trafficking being practice in countries around the world with Liberia being no exception, describing it as one of the most criminal enterprises.
Human trafficking, he says, undermines the fundamental rights of human, the economy and brings a huge burden on the labor sector, which accordingly affects human workforce.
The Labor Minister believes there are several factors that hamper human growth, contributing to human trafficking including denial of necessities in society due to the kind of environments in which they live.
“Women victimized by human trafficking do not grow up in normal society, they are denied access to education and access to health care among others” said Deputy Minister M’bayo. As a result, he says these women are used by others for personal financial gain.
Minister M’bayo also expressed regret over the act of hiring domestic workers whom he said are taken into abnormal environments and in the end they become liability to society which he noted demoralizes the Labor sector.
He added, “the Labor sector relies on basically human capital, of course, technical expertise, entrepreneurship are key” calling on policy makers from diverse background, traditional sectors and those from the security sector to join efforts in combating human trafficking.
At the same time, Minister M’bayo emphasized the need for the media to add importance to report on anti-human trafficking in the society without fear or favor, registering that it will help mitigate the act across the world, thus calling for support to local partners toward the process.
“The media must also play its role in exposing acts of human trafficking to help all of the policymakers, international partners and the National Traditional Council by taking the message to them and should not exaggerate it but to report it the way it is” the Deputy Labor Minister added.
When the media gets involved in reporting anti human trafficking stories, Minister M’bayo averred, it will help in tracking down those associated with the act and build a better collaboration with the labor sector.
The seminar, organized by World Hope International, a faith base organization, brought together journalists from various media outlets across Montserrado, focusing on trafficking activities in Liberia, standard operating procedures and Act to ban Trafficking in Person and forms of trafficking in Liberia.
The Program Manager of World Hope International, Wellingon A. Kollie during the seminar stressed the need for media practitioners to increase and improve the understanding of the media on human trafficking in order to strengthen case reporting, creation of public awareness, advocate for victim’s assistance and move the public to action in the fight against the crime.
Mr. Kollie then lauded journalists for their participation and called on them to help in the fight against human trafficking in Liberia.