SI Baerum – Norway
Moldova has one of the highest rates of human trafficking in Europe as widespread poverty and unemployment drive many young people, mostly women, to look for work overseas, according to the United Nations migration agency (IOM).
Norwegian Soroptimists got in touch with the founder and chief editor of the Moldovan newspaper Ziarul de Gardă, the defender of women’s human rights, Ms. Alina Radu[1]. The newspaper is given to women, including those in rural areas, to inform them about trafficking and other important issues that could affect them. The project is meant to give support civic education and prevention of trafficking. The idea of Alina Radu to create an investigation newspaper came from the desire to inform the public in a correct and impartial manner. The TV-station belonging to the newspaper was awarded a prize from the United Nations for Best strengthening human rights in Moldova in 2011.
In another context, some Soroptimists of the European Federation had the opportunity to meet Ms. Radu as she was one of the speakers as part of the activities organised before the SIE Governors’ Meeting in Lucerne (2018). Through her inspirational speech, she demonstrated how she has been dedicating her life to standing up for women in her country[2].
Soroptimists from several clubs in Norway started to support the newspaper from 2006 or a bit earlier by donating funds but SI Baerum decided to support the newspaper permanently in 2012. The Soroptimists of Baerum consider this investment as an important action on empowering women about human rights because it is vital for women to get access to information.
Trafficking generates illegal profits of $150 billion a year globally, with about 40 million people estimated to be trapped as modern-day slaves — mostly women and girls — in forced labour and forced marriages, according to leading anti-slavery groups (IOM).
The fundraising project is still ongoing! “This project is a success. It is a small, but important contribution to supporting human rights and empowering women in Moldova.” – SI Baerum
Additional information:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=gR24DhgedHg&feature=emb_title
- https://moldova.unwomen.org/en/noutati-si-evenimente/noutati/2018/03/femei-care-fac-istorie-alina-radu
[1] https://zdg.md/eng/social/meet-the-zdg-team
[2] http://www.soroptimisteurope.org/pre-gm-presentations-on-prostitution-human-trafficking-and-fgm-inspire-soroptimists/