Leading international advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi has
joined forces with IOM's Southern African Counter-Trafficking
Assistance Programme (SACTAP) to create a hard-hitting Public
Service Announcement (PSA) to raise awareness of the dangers of
falling prey to human traffickers.

The PSA seeks to convey the chilling duplicity of human
traffickers. It centres on a young rural African woman who is being
enticed to go to South Africa through the false promise of a
modelling career. The unassuming woman is not aware of her
trafficker's deceptive ploys, but the audience is alerted through a
series of subliminal phrases that appear around her, for example in
text on a passing taxi and on graffiti on the wall. These subtitles
reveal the truth: the girl is being trafficked into forced
prostitution.

The PSA features IOM's counter-trafficking helpline for South
Africa - 0800 555 999 - and IOM hopes it will help to reach and
assist more victims of trafficking.

Grant Meldrum, Managing Director from Saatchi and Saatchi South
Africa says, "We were touched by the IOM's work and the difference
it makes to women who are trapped in appalling conditions."

Other companies that provided significant in-kind contributions
and support include Fresh-Eye Productions, SABC and ETV.

 

"This hard-hitting PSA captures the evil realities of human
trafficking and shows how ruthless traffickers shatter the hopes
and dreams of their victims", says Karen Blackman, SACTAP's
Information and Awareness Raising Specialist. "Human trafficking is
happening in Southern Africa today, but awareness levels remain
worryingly low. We hope that this advert will raise awareness
levels and increase calls to our counter-trafficking helpline."

The advert will air on leading South African channels SABC1,
SABC2, SABC 3 and ETV in primetime slots, as well as CNN and BBC
World on DSTV, which broadcasts throughout Southern Africa.

This will coincide with IOM's forthcoming Migration Dialogue for
Southern Africa summit in Botswana (28 - 30 May), which will bring
together 16 governments from the Southern Africa region to discuss
the legislation needed to tackle human trafficking.

To view the PSA, please
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For further information, please contact:

Karen Blackman

IOM Pretoria

Tel.: +27 12 342 1120

E-mail: "mailto:kblackman@iom.int">kblackman@iom.int 

Rebecca Wynn

Tel.: + 27 12 342 2789

E-mail: "mailto:rwynn@iom.int">rwynn@iom.int