By Alexis Rodney
Amid an increase in reported cases of human trafficking in Guyana, Human Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster has assured that government was using every available method to help combat the scourge.
Over the years, government has not been receptive to some of the criticisms in its fight against human trafficking and has boasted of rigorous systems in place to combat the problem.
At her end-of-year news conference at her Water Street office, Webster said so far for this year, Gy$ 3.1 million has been expended to assist victims and their families.
She added that every effort was made to include nongovernmental organisations (NGO), both locally and internationally, and other entities that have the total eradication of this debilitating social issue at heart.
Webster said her ministry, through its “Counter Trafficking in Persons Unit”, has received a total of 11 reports of human trafficking for 2013. Four persons have been convicted, while another four are currently facing charges.
Training sessions
The minister pointed out that the ministry is seeking to ensure that women and children are protected.
It is against this backdrop that numerous training sessions and sensitisation programmes were held across the country to equip persons with skills and knowledge to join in the fight to eliminate trafficking in persons (TIP).
“We have also worked towards having persons in communities understand their roles in being able to identify at-risk persons to trafficking in persons and I think that is one of the areas where we have stepped up our approach,” Webster told reporters.
She pointed out that major focus was placed on the hinterland communities, where the presence of TIP is very high. “We did have sessions in Regions One, Two, Six, Seven, Eight, and Nine, because we feel that we needed to do more work in our hinterland communities because of increased activities in certain sectors, such as the mining sector.”
Webster said that the ministry has been working closely with victims of TIP, seeking to assist them with “training opportunities to find work”.
In its 2013 TIP report, the U. S. Department of State ranked Guyana on the Tier Two WatchList. In 2011, Guyana had moved from the Tier Two Watch List to Tier Two; however, it went back to the watch list in 2012 and 2013. The Tier Two Watch List encompasses countries whose governments do not fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance.
Stringent penalties
According to the report, Guyana’s government made no visible progress in holding human trafficking offenders in the country accountable during the reporting period, although the Combating Trafficking of Persons Act of 2005 prohibits all forms of trafficking and prescribes sufficiently stringent penalties, ranging from three years to life imprisonment.
The report said while there have been some efforts to protect victims, the lack of punishment for offenders creates an enabling environment for continued human trafficking. The majority of prosecutions initiated during the reporting period were dismissed, since witnesses usually declined to testify.
Close to the end of the reporting period, law enforcement and prosecutors were said to be gathering information to issue warrants for the arrest of suspected perpetrators and to initiate prosecution.
WoW programme
Meanwhile, Webster said single mothers across Guyana have been taking advantage of the Women of Worth (WoW) programme – an initiative of the ministry in collaboration with the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI). More than 1300 women have received loans and have expanded their businesses, with some 447 receiving training in areas such as garment construction, catering, information technology, and cosmetology.
