Call to Address Root Causes

CEDAW (Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination of Against Women) has called on governments to pursue all appropriate means to eliminate trafficking in women and girls, highlighting the increasing use of social media to recruit trafficking victims during the COVID-19 pandemic. In its General Recommendation NO 38 CEDAW reports that women and girls still account for the majority of victims of trafficking across the world, despite the existing anti-trafficking legal and policy frameworks at national and international levels. CEDAW has also called on social media and messaging companies to assist in mitigating the risk of trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and girls. Dalia Leinarte, CEDAW committee member who led the drafting of the recommendation, said:

“The global pandemic has revealed the urgent need to address the use of digital technology in and against trafficking…Combatting trafficking also entails discouraging the demand.”

The committee urges governments to address the root causes of women and girls becoming vulnerable and at risk of being trafficked through public policies that for women’s autonomy,equal access to education and job opportunities and a gender responsive safe migration framework to protect women and girl migrants.

Download a copy of Recommendations No 38 here.