U.S. govt honours Broomes as anti-TIP hero

The United States government has honoured Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) President Simona Broomes as a 2013 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) hero as Washington unveiled its annual report on the global scourge.

In a statement, United States Ambassador to Guyana D Brent Hardt said Guyana and the U.S. have in recent years developed a more active and productive dialogue on TIP, aimed at strengthening Guyana’s ability to identify and protect victims, prosecute offenders, and prevent future cases of TIP.
Workshop
“We held a workshop on TIP identification, investigation, and prosecution for government and civil society representatives. We conducted outreaches in Bartica with local law enforcement, mining, and civil society representatives to boost understanding in that region of how to combat trafficking. We welcome the commitment of the government and people of Guyana to work in partnership to address this global threat to the dignity of children, women and men,” the ambassador declared.
He said nowhere was this commitment more evident than in the extraordinary work of the GWMO “under the courageous leadership of Simona Broomes, who was recognised yesterday (Tuesday) by Secretary of State John Kerry as a 2013 TIP Hero”.
Hardt said Broomes established the GWMO in January 2012 to empower women miners and address the unique challenges women face working in remote areas of Guyana. After seeing first-hand the plight of trafficking victims, she decided to take action to rescue victims, bring cases to the attention of authorities, and help ensure adequate protection.
“Broomes and her GWMO colleagues have shown extraordinary bravery and leadership, most recently in rescuing four young victims in Puruni. Thanks to her commitment, more trafficking victims are being identified and rescued from a life of slavery. All of Guyana should be proud of what she and her organisation have been able to accomplish to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society,” the U. S. ambassador said.
Hardt noted that unfortunately, no country is immune from modern slavery.
“Both the United States and Guyana have victims in our midst and among our citizens abroad. Only by joining together with the same determined spirit as Guyana’s own Simona Broomes, can we hope to meet this challenge and defeat the scourge of modern-day slavery”.
Modern-day slavery
The report was released on Tuesday under the theme: “Victim Identification: The First Step in Stopping Modern Slavery”. It highlights the continuing challenge all countries face in bringing to light this shadowy crime by identifying and protecting victims, while investigating and prosecuting perpetrators. Hardt said eradicating modern slavery remains an uphill struggle.
Based on the information governments have provided, only around 40,000 victims were identified in the past year. However, social scientists estimate that as many as 27 million people are victims of trafficking at any given time.
This reveals that only a fraction of the millions of men, women, and children who suffer in modern slavery has been uncovered and identified by governments and is receiving the protection and support they need.
Victim identification
He said another consequence of the failure to identify victims is that the traffickers who enslave and exploit vulnerable people are operating with impunity, beyond the reach of the law. Modern anti-trafficking laws and structures go unused, existing as theoretical instruments of justice.
“That is why this year’s U. S. Trafficking in Persons Report focuses on victim identification as a top priority in the global movement to combat trafficking in persons. The report looks at training and techniques that can boost countries’ identification efforts. It also highlights innovations and partnerships within and beyond government that can enhance identification efforts. If successfully implemented, such innovations will enable more effective delivery of services to survivors of human trafficking,” the ambassador said.