National News

Malawians head regional trafficking network

Eye of the Child executive director Maxwell Matewere and human trafficking law expert Habiba Osman have been elected president and treasurer of Southern African Network Against Trafficking and Child Abuse (Santac) respectively.

Santac comprises 56 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from nine countries in southern Africa.

Elected president: Matewere
Elected president: Matewere

To get into positions, which run for three years, members from other countries are requested to make nominations and Santac board vets the names before being voted.

Confirming the positions on Tuesday, Osman, who is gender justice programme coordinator and anti-trafficking advocate at Norwegian Church Aid (Malawi), said the positions will help strengthen Malawi’s campaign against human trafficking.

She said the positions will also put the country on the map, noting that Malawi is poorly rated in the fight against human trafficking due to weak legal framework and the positions.

“Most importantly, victims from Malawi will be given the adequate care and support prescribed by international law and not as illegal immigrants as is the case once trafficked to some of these countries. The fight against human trafficking requires strong collaboration and networking efforts,” said Osman.

According to her, stakeholders are currently lobbying government to pass the bill on anti-trafficking in persons into law.

“Stakeholders are also working with other actors in raising awareness, collecting data and contributing towards facilitation of anti-trafficking strategies. We will continue with advocacy and lobbying initiatives,” she said.

 

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