PREVENTION OF TRAFFICKING
IN WOMEN IN THE BALTIC COUNTRIES
Project Category:
Migrant Trafficking
Project Sub-Category: Migration Information
Executing Agency: International Organization
for Migration (IOM)
Project Partner Agencies (or National Counterparts): The Governments
of the Baltic states: Migration Departments, Ministries of Interior, Border
Guards, Departments of Investigations on Organized Crime, Ministries of Foreign
Affairs, Ministries of Social Affairs and Welfare
Project Collaborators: NGOs and national mass
media
Geographical Coverage: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
Project Management Sites: IOM Riga and IOM Vilnius
under co-ordination of IOM Helsinki
Target Group(s):
Primary Beneficiaries: Trafficked women and potential victims of trafficking
Secondary Beneficiaries: Government staff of the Baltic states, in particular
and other agencies and NGOs working on anti-trafficking activities
Duration: 12 months (August 2001 - August 2002)
Funding secured from the US and Finnish Governments for the project’s
Research Component
PROJECT SUMMARY
This initiative is in line with the European Commission’s STOP programme
and contributes to international efforts to counter trafficking of migrants.
The purpose of the project is to increase the awareness of the emerging
problems of trafficking in women among the general population, relevant
authorities and NGOs in the Baltic States, and to discourage and prevent
future trafficking of women in the Baltic region. To achieve these goals,
relevant national research projects will be carried out in the three Baltic
countries in order to ascertain a comprehensive view of trafficking in women
in the Baltic States. Also, evaluation of the current level of awareness
of population on these issues is needed, especially among potential migrant
women. Nation-wide and regional information campaigns will be launched in
order to increase awareness of women about the dangers of falling prey to
traffickers.
The project also aims at establishing a network among Baltic government
officials, local and foreign consular officers and Lithuanian, Latvian and
Estonian NGOs, in order to increase their awareness of the issue, strengthen
their institutional capacity and promote sustainability of the project’s
activities. Project implementation will add an increased value by reducing
cross-border criminal activity and increasing safety in the region.
The duration of the project will be 12 months (beginning September 1999) for
a total cost of € 476,039.
BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
The declaration of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing emphasizes
the responsibility of States and international organizations to combat
trafficking in women. One of the strategic objectives of the Beijing Platform
of Action is to stop trafficking in women, to assist its victims, and to
halt the violence related to prostitution and the trade in women.
Further support for solving these problems was provided in resolution 51/66
of 12 December 1996 of the General Assembly, noting with concern the increasing
number of women and young girls from developing countries and from some
countries with economies in transition, being victimized by traffickers.
The resolution was calling upon Governments to actively intervene into the
process.
The activities carried out since the mid-1990s in the framework of IOM’s
Migration Information Program, highlight the growing exploitation of migrant
women from Central and Eastern Europe and indicate that trafficking in
women from the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) to Western
Europe is increasing at an alarming rate. Trafficking happens from
Eastern and Central Europe to Central and Western Europe. Concerned countries
can become origin, transit and destination countries of trafficking in
women.
In the Baltic States, women have also been the victims of the political
and economic changes of the 90s that occurred upon the dismantlement of the
existing social security structures. A growing amount of women who
search for better work opportunities abroad, are deceived by traffickers into
leaving their countries, believing that they will work as dancers or hostesses,
but instead end up living in slave-like conditions. Given their geographic
location and economic circumstances, Baltic States are sending, transit and
destination countries for trafficked women. Recent empirical data also indicate
the Baltic States as receiving countries. Therefore, the problem of trafficking
in women in the Baltic States is many sided, consequences are diverse and
a complex attitude toward the phenomenon is needed.
The collapse of the former Soviet Union distorted the social and financial
well being of a large number of women, former Soviet system employees.
Due to language barriers and difficulties in adapting to the new market
economy, many of them have been unable to find suitable jobs. Through some
shady advertisements in newspapers women try their luck and leave their
country to work abroad as dancers, baby-sitters or waitresses. It is not
only the Russian speaking female population that is threatened to become
traffickers’ victims. Teenagers of different nationalities in the Baltic
countries are tempted to go abroad as soon as they finish the secondary
school. Due to their lack of experience or knowledge about the possibilities
of orderly migration, young women and even children become easy targets
for traffickers. Victims of trafficking from Baltic countries are
brought to Western Europe and either forced into prostitution or trapped
there by traffickers who take away their passports, threaten and abuse them
and deprive them of most, if not all, of their earnings. The full
scale of this practice remains unknown, because few women are willing or
able to report to the police what has happened to them. In many countries
immigration laws and policies consider trafficked women as ordinary irregular
migrants and hence, immediately deportable. This discourages victims from
coming forward to the proper authorities.
In the Baltic States today there are no leading governmental ministries
or agencies, which address within their portfolio, issues concerning the
risks of women in particular, to be trafficked. In addition, there are gaps
in current legislation and migration policies that address trafficking activities
comprehensively, systematically, coherently and in the light of a human
rights dimension.
IOM has identified trafficking in women as a priority service area for
international attention. At the Fourth World Conference on Women held in
Beijing and in a number of international for that followed - including
the Organization of the European Commission -sponsored European Conference
on Trafficking in Women in June 1996 and other seminars and conferences
- IOM has presented a number of activities and concrete results of ongoing
projects to address the issue, including research, information campaigns,
technical co-operation, and return and reintegration assistance in selected
countries of origin.
The Governments of all Baltic States recognize the problem of human trafficking.
It was clearly formulated and declared also in the recent conference “On
the Promotion of the Status of Women” which as a joint project between the
United States and Finland, was carried out in Riga on the 15th of March
1999. The working group on Trafficking in Women and Prostitution placed
emphasis on several serious deficiencies in the Baltic region concerning
this subject. There is a need for research on the trafficking phenomenon,
which must be carried out by a group of experienced researchers in close
cooperation with the relevant NGOs. The capacity of Governmental authorities
to prevent trafficking in women within and outside the Baltic’s needs to
be further strengthened and developed so that women can be empowered to
make informed decisions about their livelihoods and so that their human
rights can be better protected. Urgent education of NGOs is essential for
preliminary knowledge on trafficking as well as for dealing with victims
of trafficking - their rehabilitation and reintegration.
Target Groups
The main target group of the information project for the Baltic States
will be the potential women victims of migrant trafficking in communities
identified as being vulnerable to trafficker exploitation. A second target
group will be that of relevant Baltic authorities dealing with migration
and gender issues. As to the former, IOM has tentatively defined trafficking
in migrants as illicit engagement (recruitment, kidnapping, selling, etc.)
of migrants when moving them either within national or across international
borders, and when intermediaries (traffickers) during any part of this process
obtain economic or other profit by means of deception, coercion and/or other
forms of exploitation under conditions that violate the fundamental human
rights of migrants. The project will identify and co-ordinate its activities
as defined with relevant partners and authorities - especially local and
foreign consular officers as well as relevant national and international
NGOs in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. With regard to NGOs, it
is important to note that in the Baltic States today, the development of
women’s groups and civic organizations is at an incipient stage, and only
a few NGOs include problems related to trafficking in women in their activities.
Thus current information and education on the trafficking in women has to
be given to these instances.
IOM Expertise vis-à-vis Project Activities
IOM is uniquely equipped to implement this project. Recognizing the urgency
of dealing with the consequences of trafficking for sexual and other types
of exploitation, IOM has, since 1993, focused on preventing and combating
trafficking in women and children through research, information sharing,
prevention, and assisted return and reintegration support for the victims
of trafficking. IOM has published twelve case studies on the worldwide trafficking
of women since 1995, and also publishes a quarterly newsletter on trends
in migrant trafficking and measures being taken by governments to combat
it.
In Eastern Europe, IOM has conducted several projects on trafficking
in women and children, for instance, Information Campaign against Trafficking
in Women from Ukraine, 1998. Furthermore, since April 1996, IOM has been
providing trafficked women and children with return assistance in the sub-region.
In September 1998, IOM organized a two-day seminar in Vilnius, Lithuania on
trafficking issues. Over 60 participants took part in the workshop, including
representatives from migrant sending countries, such as India, Sri Lanka
and Tajikistan.
Trafficking in women, as an important problem in contemporary international
migration affairs, calls for an imaginative, coordinated and aggressive
response. The design of this project is based upon the experience, knowledge
and network that IOM has attained over the years from previous and ongoing
anti-trafficking programs in Europe and elsewhere.
The basic principle of this project is its aim of addressing the problem
of trafficking in women through the empowerment of women, thus avoiding
the common trend of victimizing the trafficked women.
Trafficking is a heinous crime that entails the violation of migrants’
human rights. IOM's policy in addressing trafficking is three-fold:
first, through research, ascertaining the real situation and most urgent
problems of migrant trafficking. Secondly, prevention before victimization,
through information campaigns in areas of origin, includes training and
capacity building; and thirdly, assistance to those who have suffered the
consequences of trafficking. At the first global seminar on migrant
trafficking, which IOM sponsored in 1994, trafficking in migrant women emerged
as an issue of extreme urgency. The recommendations from this seminar
have led to several concrete actions, in the five key areas of intervention:
seminar activities, research, information dissemination, technical cooperation
and return and reintegration activities. IOM’s policy paper on trafficking
can be found in Annex I.
In 1996-97 IOM carried out in cooperation with the European Commission's
STOP programme the analysis of data and statistical resources available
in the EU Member States on trafficking in human beings, particularly women
and children. On the basis of that, at present IOM is completing an EC sponsored
programme including a feasibility study on rapid information transfer aiming
at preventing and combating trafficking in women and children.
With regard to Central and Eastern Europe, the trafficking interventions
have thus far concentrated on research and information campaigns.
As to the former activity, a number of studies have been carried out which
focused on trafficking in migrants from the transit and receiving ends thereby
alerting policy makers to the parameters of the problem faced and proposing
concrete recommendations on how best to proactively mainstream actions into
government policies. In terms of information dissemination, campaigns
are being carried out in countries of origin, in an effort to alert potential
migrants to the risks of irregular migration. Accurate, timely information
about migration and trafficking that is disseminated to would-be migrants
gives those people the means for making an informed choice about migrating.
Information is thus an important empowerment tool, diminishing the possibility
of traffickers being able to exploit a lack of knowledge in potential migrants.
IOM information campaigns which have already been carried out in Ukraine,
(and are being initiated in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Hungary; also,
in East and South-East Asia) have contributed to a substantial public awareness
about the realities of migration and a considerable decrease in the number
of illegal migrants.
Request to IOM
The Governments of the Baltic countries have indicated to IOM, the need
of assistance in obtaining better performance of the national migration offices,
other governmental institutions, as well as NGOs in preventing and combating
the problem of trafficking in women. This proposal is being sought in the
context of EU requirements of strengthening border control, decreasing criminality
and reducing the effects of various types of irregular migration.
In this regard, IOM is planning to carry out a program, which would pool
and analyse the specialized research data and statistics most relevant
to policy makers in regard to the migration, judicial, police, social and
employment sectors. It will also identify gaps in information and statistical
material, making suggestions for improvement. This project, also serving
as an information campaign, will disseminate its findings to a possibly
broader audience with special attention paid to the most vulnerable target
groups.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The project will consist of three main components:
Research activities
Information dissemination
campaign
Promotion of cooperation
between authorities and NGOs
Since, in such sensitive issues as trafficking of women and prostitution,
the role of NGOs is particularly important, the project will also be directed
towards strengthening NGOs, and increasing cooperation between NGOs and
related governmental institutions.
Ongoing monitoring and evaluation will be carried-out throughout the
implementation of the project.
Research and Analysis of Data
Prior to information dissemination, IOM will ascertain the baseline facts
about trafficking in women in the Baltic States. In order to accomplish
this, IOM will gather information from a wide range of sources that will
include surveys of potential irregular female migrants, Lithuanian, Latvian
and Estonian governments and foreign authorities, migration experts, academia,
national research institutes and relevant NGOs.
Information obtained through the above mechanisms will provide IOM with
a comprehensive, balanced view of the trafficking phenomenon in the Baltic
States and enable it to design the most effective method of intervention.
This data will also serve as a point of comparison against which changes
in perception and program impact will be measured at a later stage and upon
program completion.
Additional research will be carried out on mass media outlets to identify
the most high-impact and cost-efficient channels from which to disseminate
information to target audiences. Program advocacy will be ensured
through regular contacts and information meetings with government authorities,
NGOs and women’s organizations.
The research activities will be carried out on an individual country-by-country
(Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia) basis. This approach is dictated by the
cultural and religious diversity, which rules out a uniform and levelling
methodology. Given the fact that established main destination countries
are quite different, e.g. for Lithuania and Estonia, special emphasis will
be placed on adapting the general methodology to the existing realities
in each country.
On the other hand, since the Baltic States are not only countries of
origin, but also serve as a transit or even destination zones for trafficked
women from the surrounding republics and further abroad, a regional approach
will also facilitate the differing information needs of border regions
and internal areas.
Research mechanisms will include:
A. Defining target groups for surveys (potential migrant women) and for
the in-depth qualitative studies - trafficking victims, prostitutes, and
experts.
B. A concise questionnaire to be used in a nation-wide survey of a sample
of up to 1000 potential women migrants throughout each Baltic country.
Together with the data gathering, the survey will provide first-stage,
quantitative information such as major migrant producing regions, the social
and professional background of potential trafficked women as well as an
overall indication of the size of the trafficking phenomenon in the Baltic
States. It will also provide evidence about information sources on migration
issues of the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian population and particularly
the problem of trafficking in women.
C. Quantitative information will be supplemented by qualitative data
obtained through the following research efforts:
Interviews of deported trafficked/voluntary migrants.
Interviews with related governmental authorities and representatives
of NGOs.
Interviews of prostitutes detained in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Disseminating the results of the study
General reports, to be distributed to all project partners/ participants,
media
Policy recommendations, to be presented for governmental officials dealing
with migrant trafficking issues
Collection of information for women migrants on suggested behaviour for
reducing risk in difficult situations
Information Campaign
Information plays a crucial role in the decision of an individual to
migrate. Many of the prospective migrant women and their families
have only very sketchy, if any, knowledge of the actual situation they will
be facing abroad. Their knowledge of employment procedures, employees’
rights and immigration regulations and procedures is even less precise.
As a result, they are easy prey to a growing number of well organized and
integrated trafficking networks that exploit their ignorance to make huge
profits at the cost of great human suffering.
The information campaign will advise potential migrants of their legal
options and of the risks connected to illegal ones. This is an effective
way of reducing uninformed decision- making which could result in trafficked
migration. Such campaigns are implemented with the goal of disseminating
actual information about the realities of irregular migration in general,
and the risks for women in particular, including health risks and the exploitation
and abuse they might be subjected to in their intended countries of destination.
With the support of the identified implementing partners, IOM will devise
an overall strategy for the information dissemination campaign. As a matter
of principle, the communication strategy will balance media with informal,
grass-root activities and state-owned and government outlets with private
ones. This approach will ensure that all target group members are effectively
reached through one medium or others perceived as trustworthier support
another and that media lacking credibility in the eyes of some migrants.
Furthermore, this will ensure the repetition of campaign messages that will
greatly enhance their impact.
Discussions/Meetings with Potential Victims
Discussions/meetings with potential victims of trafficking from 7 to
10 locations in each Baltic Country will be implemented, accompanied by
a “Questions and Answer” booklet. These informal meetings will be designed
to bring the message to the women and provide the population with concrete,
legal information/consultation on what can be done in different situations.
Other topics would also include information about life in the West, economic
opportunities in home countries, rights of workers, prostitution, “modelling”
or “entertainment” career promises, and mail order bride fraud. The venues
could include: women’s groups, women’s civic organizations, marriage bureaus,
fashion agencies, medical clinics, employment centres, high schools, vocational
schools and higher level classes at secondary schools.
These discussions/meetings will be organized in cooperation with national
authorities and will include IOM, government representatives from Lithuania,
Latvia, Estonia, and expert participation. Actual cases of trafficked women
and real-life experiences will be presented and discussed. These can be
supported by audio visual aids. At the end of each meeting, attendees receive
a “Question and Answers” booklet to reinforce the discussion’s message.
The discussion tour will be advertised well in advance in the local media
or through the use of outdoor media.
Printed Material and Its Dissemination
In this second stage, IOM, in cooperation with its implementation partners
and through a number of selected media, will disseminate information to
a possibly broader female audience, with special emphasis on potential female
victims of trafficking. The campaign may include some or all of the
following media:
“Basic Facts” Brochure: A brochure with simple, basic facts about the
realities of trafficking, about its risks (HIV and STDs transmission and
general public health) and probable consequences (exploitation, isolation
and hardship). It will also include information about the most frequent current
recruitment methods used by traffickers: work contracts abroad as entertainers,
baby sitters or false marriage schemes.
Poster Campaign: A poster with a high-impact message warning of the risks
of trafficking will be produced and displayed in high-visibility locations.
The poster could also provide contact points for obtaining further information
or assistance.
Regular Newspaper/Magazine Column: A regular column will be produced
for publication in wide-circulation newspapers or women’s magazines. Such
a column could be in the form of a mail-answering format, a true-life story
or a feature article. The column could be produced by IOM with guest contributions
from other migration experts, embassy officials or Baltic States authorities.
Press Releases/Conferences: Press releases and conferences will be held
regularly in order to brief the media on program activities and progress,
ensuring program visibility and advocacy and maintaining the issue of trafficking
at the centre of public attention.
Distribution will be carried out through the national and regional networks
of partner government structures and NGOs. Distribution locations will
include schools, technical and vocational training outlets, universities,
national employment centres, national visa issuing authorities, foreign
embassies and others.
Special Radio and Television Programmes
Special Programs: Specialized programs related to trafficking matters,
would be launched on national/local radio and TV. The broadcasts would
offer on-the-air answers to the most commonly asked questions about various
trafficking and migration issues, provide simple practical advice and point
out information or assistance providing facilities to those in need.
TV Documentaries: A special documentary depicting the actual situation
confronting trafficked women abroad will be produced in cooperation with
Baltic National televisions. In order to keep costs down, the documentary
can be mostly assembled from footage already available for western television
stations with only minimal parts shot on location (Netherlands, Israel,
Germany) for the purposes of this present project. The documentary can be
broadcast as a stand-alone program or in several 5- to10-minute instalments
during a live TV debate with a panel of government authorities, migration
experts, NGOs and potential migrant women.
Empowering NGOs and Creation of a Network
IOM will work closely with relevant NGOs in all three Baltic Countries,
and will assist in creating a network of collaboration and an information
exchange system between NGOs inside every Baltic country, as well as more
broad regional entity. Dissemination of information will be carried out through
their regional and local structures. Informative meetings, round table discussions,
informal question-and-answer sessions, debates and other interactive events
will be organized and held ‘on the ground’ by local and regional structures
of Baltic NGOs.
Training of Governmental Officials and Activities of NGOs
Special training through study visits, exchange of information, and seminars
are envisioned for officials of relevant government entities, as well as
contributors to this information campaign from NGOs.
IOM expert visits to Lithuania, Latvia and Lithuania are foreseen.
Consultants from receiving countries will visit the Baltic States. Provision
of special literature and research materials for civil servants dealing
with trafficking issues is envisaged.
Three national seminars and one regional conference on trafficking in
women issues are planned.
Ongoing Monitoring and Evaluation
The project manager will carry out project monitoring with the necessary
back-up support from IOM Headquarters. Monitoring mechanisms will include:
mini- surveys, analysis of reader/listener/ viewer feedback and monitoring
of sentinel sites (border control posts, national employment centres, visa-issuing
entities, etc.).
IOM Vilnius, Riga and Helsinki will consult regularly with the Governments
of the Baltic States and donor representatives to brief them on the progress
and impact of the project’s activities. A final survey will be carried
out upon the project’s completion with the results being made available
to donors, together with recommendations for possible project take-over
by national authorities in order to promote sustainability of the project’s
activities.
Project Partners/Institutional Framework
Project activities will be carried out in close collaboration with local
research entities, NGOs as well as with relevant state institutions, ministries
and organizations, which are already engaged in anti-trafficking and anti-prostitution
activities in Baltic countries. Co-operation with state institutions presupposes
complementarity of activities and avoid duplication of activities and therefore
will focus on the issues either not covered by them or requiring international
assistance/ support.
Lithuania:
Research Institutions
Department of Sociology, Vilnius University
Public Opinion and Market Research Centre "VILMORUS".
State institutions
Migration Department, Ministry of Interior.
Border Police Department.
Department of Investigations on Organized Crime, MOI.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (through its embassies and missions abroad).
Ministry of Social Security and Labour (through its National Employment
Centres).
Ministry of Health.
Ministry of Education
NGOs
Missing Persons’ Family Support Centre under Association of Human Rights
of Lithuania.
"DEMETRA", AIDS Prevention Centre.
Women Information Centre.
Latvia:
Research Institutions
Public Opinion and Market Research company “Baltic Data House”
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Welfare
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Immigration Police
Department of Migration
NGOs
Latvian Association “Par drosu seksu” (“For safe sex”)
Community Youth Organization “Genders”
Teenage Health Centre
Social work and Social Pedagogy University “Attistiba”
Estonia:
Research Institutions:
Women Research Centre
Tartu University
State Institutions
Ministry for Social Affairs/Crisis Prevention Centre
Ministry of Interior
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Border Guard
Immigration Police
Citizenship and Migration Board
NGOs
AIDS Information & support Center
OBJECTIVE
Overall Objective
The overall objective of the project is to contribute to international
efforts and to enhance the national capacities of Latvia, Lithuania and
Estonia to prevent the trafficking in women.
Project Purpose
The project will strengthen the human resources within the governments
and NGOs and to increase public awareness on the problems of trafficking
in women. It is designed to:
Reveal a comprehensive view on the current situation in trafficking and
on the processes underlying it in the Baltic States
contribute to the formulation of public policies aimed at preventing
trafficking in women
create awareness of the need to address issues related to trafficking
in women
increase public awareness on the consequences of trafficking
develop the capacity of government officials and to deal with trafficking
from a policy, legislative and practical perspective
strengthen for regional co-operation
facilitate the harmonization of systems and processes relating to trafficking
in women with the member states of the European Community
RESULTS
The following results will be attained during the preparatory phase:
The capacity of the governments and NGOs to prevent trafficking identified
The training needs of the governments and NGOs' staff identified
The collaboration possibilities with the government's main working partners
identified
The trainers and training methods identified
A detailed schedule and overall work plan for the project identified
The implementation phase will attain:
Improved capacity of national governments and NGOs to prevent trafficking
at policy and advocacy levels
Increase public awareness and awareness of trafficking among women between
ages 14-30 and their parents about trafficking and prostitution issues
Improved capacity of the governments and their working partners and collaboration
between them
New governmental strategies on preventing trafficking and empowering
women to make rational migration decisions
Within the 12-month initiative, the project will attain the following
results:
Three comprehensive research projects will be undertaken with respect
to trafficking in women highlighting the impact of certain policy and legislative
decisions in either encouraging or combating trafficking and establishing
public awareness of these problems
Comprehensive balanced vision on the trafficking phenomenon in the Baltic
States will be ascertained and given publicity through various media channels.
Detailed reports will also be passed to relevant governmental authorities
Enhanced capacity of the part of the Government’s of Estonia, Latvia
and Lithuania to address trafficking related issues based on increased
knowledge gained through the training initiatives. Various opportunities
will be provided for migration experts and practitioners within the Baltic
States to meet and discuss issues that are common to them.
Increased understanding and capacity of local NGOs in dealing with trafficking
problems, especially related to trafficking in women. Creation of informal
national and regional NGO networks while dealing with trafficking problems
Increased cooperation and mutual assistance between related governmental
institutions and NGOs in dealing with concrete practical cases of trafficking
in women and trafficking in prostitutes
45 officials per country will receive training on trafficking, gaining
an overview of the complexity of the issues (these will be addressed later
through the various initiatives during the course of the project)
Representatives of NGOs - project partners will be trained on the issues
related to carrying information campaign
Population of the Baltic States (with special emphasis on vulnerable
groups - young girls, potential woman migrants, etc.) will be reached through
information dissemination mechanisms
Increased awareness of concrete measures to be undertaken to prevent
and combat trafficking in women; and of means of self-defence in critical
situations
ACTIVITIES
Activities in the Preparatory Phase
Assessment prepared on capacity of the governments and NGOs and their
needs
Identification of government’s working partners’ and coordination for
their inclusion in the project
Preparation of the project schedule, identification of trainers and development
of training methods for the project
Activities in the Implementation Phase
Research through 3 national surveys, carried out by appropriate
specialists:
a) on the current situation of trafficking in the Baltic region
b) on public awareness on the problem
Preparation for the public awareness campaign, defining measures
Establishment of a public information campaign designed to reach possibly
a bigger audience, using
media - TV, radio, newspapers, magazines
b) specially-prepared and printed leaflets in Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian
and Russian languages for distribution in schools, clinics, shops, bars,
etc.
c) through face to face or group talks/ meetings with representatives
of most vulnerable groups
A series of workshops for governmental officials
a) to illustrate the problem and to find mechanisms for addressing the
problem systematically and in a coordinated fashion in the different governmental
bodies dealing with trafficking issues.
b) to evaluate legislation gaps and subsequent adjustment of national
laws
To organize an international regional seminar on trafficking in women
issues for 80 participants, designed to increase awareness of trafficking
issues and to promote regional cooperation between governmental officials
and NGOs
Activities in the Evaluation Phase
Internal evaluation through IOM self-evaluation guidelines performed
on impact, efficiency and results of the project
INPUTS
IOM (Executing Agency) will provide overall management of the project
as well as technical support. IOM will be responsible for liaison with the
donor including preparation of progress reports, budget control, monitoring
and evaluation
The donor will provide all funds required to cover IOM’s expenditures
related to the implementation of the project
The governments of the Baltic States, through its relevant ministries,
will assist and coordinate with IOM in the successful implementation of
the project
NGOs will take an active role in information dissemination and other
grass-root activities in support of the project
ASSUMPTIONS
This project will be implemented on the assumption that:
the governments of the Baltic States are active participants and will
provide the necessary staff for training
identified and selected local NGOs will participate in the project
Baltic public media will actively co-operate in the implementation of
information campaigns
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
In monitoring and evaluating the project, IOM will ensure the following,
in keeping with donor’s standards and guidelines with respect to project
execution:
Measure the development of the activities, as well as the achievement
of results in relation to the action plan. Furthermore, to ensure that the
expenses correspond to the budgets
Determine and evaluate the factors that affect the development of the
activities, and the achievement of results
Report the progress of the project
Determine the necessary measures in order to solve problems that might
arise with regard to the implementation of the Project
Final Evaluation: IOM shall submit a comprehensive evaluation report
to the donor at the end of the project. The evaluation will be carried out
in accordance to IOM guidelines for self-evaluation
Indicators/Means of Verification
Indicator: Reports that indicate as highly satisfactory the progress
made by Baltic countries towards preventing the trafficking in women.
Means of verification: Project’s report and verification missions carried
out by EU and donors
Indicator: Relevant legislation to combat/prevent trafficking in
women is drafted
Means of Verification: Official reports from governments.
Indicator: Those whose training capacity and expertise on trafficking
in women and related issues have been strengthened through project activities
each report having been consulted on subjects covered by that training
at least once per week.
Means of Verification: Project’s report, number of workshop conducted
and periodic surveys of officials.
Indicator: Trafficking in women in terms of potential problems for the
security of the region and its external border has decreased by 50%.
Means of Verification: government reports
Indicator: The process of handling human rights issues notably
when dealing with trafficked women within international standards and instruments
is used 75% of the time
Means of Verification: Reports from NGOs, human rights groups and field
visit to checking points/bordering areas.
Indicator: Awareness on the trafficking in women and its negative consequences
has been increased in at least 70 % among targeted population.
Means of Verification: Surveys carried out on the result of the information
campaigns