The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Carolina Women's Center and its partners are this week hosting a conference titled "Sexual Trafficking: Breaking the Crisis of Silence".

An IOM expert from its Regional Office for Central America and Mexico has been invited to discuss HIV/AIDS and sex trafficking, and share information on IOM counter trafficking work worldwide.

The two-day conference, ending on Saturday 8 April, aims to fight the commercial sexual exploitation of young women and children by raising public awareness in the United States of the human rights violations of trafficking and its devastating effects on the physical and mental health of its victims.

According to conference organizers, many Americans believe that the trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation is a problem extraneous to the United States. However, the US is a major destination country for trafficked persons for sexual and other types of exploitation.

Trafficking in persons is an extremely complex phenomenon, and the associated health concerns are vast. Trafficked persons often suffer extreme violence, and at the same time are usually denied health assistance due to their multiple marginalization (e.g. as women, as migrants, as sex workers, as trafficked persons). As well as discussing the overall health concerns of victims of trafficking, IOM will share specific information on HIV and AIDS from its programmes around the world, including the challenges of providing comprehensive assistance to victims, and how that relates to HIV and AIDS services.

IOM has extensive worldwide experience in counter-trafficking, with activities in more than 70 countries. Integrated responses aim to prevent the phenomenon, protect the victims through comprehensive assistance, and empower governments and agencies through technical cooperation to respond effectively.

The conference is supported by multiple disciplines, including the School of Social Work, the Office of Research Development, the Jordan Institute for Families, the Family Violence Prevention Center, the Carolina Center for Public Service, and the Parr Center for Ethics.

For more information, contact:

Rosilyne Borland
Project Officer / Health and Migration
IOM Costa Rica
Tel.: +506 224 1152 ext. 120.
E-mail: rborland@iom.int