OSCE trains facilitators of the Women’s Resource Centres network in Tajikistan on counteracting human trafficking

An OSCE-organized three-day training course on counteracting trafficking in human beings for facilitators from Women’s Resource Centres (WRCs) concluded on 28 April 2023 in Dushanbe.   

The course brought together some 25 participants and aimed at strengthening the knowledge of WRC facilitators on how to raise the awareness of the general public on human trafficking. Participants learned about the identification of persons at risk as well as survivors of the crime, the rights of victims of trafficking in human beings, and the rights of the child victims of trafficking as the special vulnerable group that needs enhanced protection. Other topics covered during the course were the difference between trafficking in human beings, smuggling of migrants, and illegal migration; direct and indirect actors in the field of combating trafficking in human beings; National Referral Mechanism for victims of trafficking in human beings and the role of WRCs within the National Referral Mechanism.

“I learnt about national and international human trafficking laws, the human rights of the victims of human trafficking, and how government agencies deal with this issue. Victims of human trafficking can be both women and men, orphans, refugees, and migrants. I will use my gained knowledge and skills at seminars with community members and will warn them against becoming victims of human trafficking,” said Abdurahim Kalandarzoda, Facilitator from “Darmonbakhsh” WRC in the Dusti district of the Khatlon region. 

“The training was prepared and organized at the highest level. The proposed topics were recognized as very important for the work of facilitators from WRCs,” said Inoatkhon Khojaeva, Facilitator of the WRC “Rohnamo” in the Lakhsh district of the Khatlon region adding that she will be able to apply this knowledge in practice.

Building the capacity of civil society representatives on counteracting domestic violence and trafficking in persons is one of the commitments of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in the implementation of the OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality (2004) and OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings (2003).

The training course is being implemented within the Women’s Resource Centres project of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe and funded by the United States of America, Finland, Norway, Germany, and Andorra.