Monthly Status Update – January 2018 Combatting Human Trafficking in Afghanistan

Highlights

IOM Afghanistan:

• Organized a half day workshop with TIP commission’s technical committee members to finalize Counter Trafficking IN persons training manual developed by IOM. Eventually the training manual was approved by technical committee members Afghan government behalf. • Organized the third national TIP research advisory meeting on 31st January at US Embassy and presented the key findings of the national research to the advisory team and get report endorsed. Report was endorsed by advisory team and now ready to submit to Afghan TIP commission for their review behalf of Afghan government. Next steps will be translation of report into Dari and submit to TIP commission secretariat and start discussing about launching date and printing process. • In coordination with Information Management Unit conducted the second phase of a week- long computer training from 22nd – 27th January in Kabul for 16 data specialists who were nominated by the Ministry of Justice from 10 border provinces (Kabul, Badakhshan, Takhar, Balkh, Herat, Nimroz, Farah, Kandahar, Khost and Nangarhar). The training was planned for 20 officials but only 16 made it to Kabul and the remaining 4 officials one from Badakhshan, one from Takhar, one from Balkh and one from Farah could not attend due to the domestic flights cancelation, which was Provincial commissions computer training conducted in Kabul © IOM Jan 22nd – 27th 2018 (Photo: IOM) caused by the recent security incident at Intercontinental hotel and that largely affected Kam Air’s operation in the country. The objective of the training was to enhance technical capacity of the above mentioned 10 provincial TIP commissions data specialists on operating computer programs such as (MS. Word, Excel and PowerPoint).

IOM Partners:

1. ORFD: • Conducted one community based intervention in Laghman province. Community based intervention include: A) Public Speaking Forum, public gathering with a panel of provincial officials of Afghan government including provincial TIP commissions to respond to TIP related questions raised by participants. B) Interaction with Senior Government Officials, is a Government official meeting including provincial TIP Community meeting held in Laghman province commissions officials to discuss issues © OFRD Jan 7th, 2018 (Photo: OFRD) related to TIP law and their roles/responsibilities to implement the law and respond to TIP cases at provincial level. C) Community meeting, mostly focus on community members including socio-cultural leaders such as Ullamas, university lecturer and school teachers. The propose of these meetings was to raise awareness on human trafficking and address knowledge gaps among the participants. The community based intervention events have gathered 132 participants (21 male and 111 females). • Conducted four Community Based Dialogues (CBD) in Laghman province. CBD is a village level meeting aiming to raise awareness on the risks and vulnerabilities of trafficking among the local communities in the rural areas. Total 95 participants attended CBD and among them 23 were women. • Organized the fourth monthly meeting of Afghanistan Network for Combating Trafficking in Persons (ANCTIP) at its secretariat in Kabul. ANCTIP is a national network of Afghan NGOs working on counter trafficking, which was formed on 24th July 2017, based on the recommendations made by regional counter trafficking NGOs forum, in Dushanbe Tajikistan on June 2017. The meeting was aimed at: - Review network’s constitution and finalize. - Discuss and agree on network membership form. - Discuss possible dates for network launching ceremony. • Conducted six Information Sessions for Afghan returnees and displaced communities in Nangarhar province. the information sessions were to raise awareness on the risks and vulnerability of various forms of trafficking among returnees, external and internal displaced people. The sessions were attended by 1,400 participants, mainly elders of the community, youths, Ullamas, teachers and students. • Distributed the following information, education, communication (IEC), materials on the risks and vulnerability of human trafficking: - 3,575 leaflets, - 3,525 Stickers, - 3,575 Cartoon Magazines, - 3,525 Poster3,575 CTIP Pen

2. Salam Watandar: • Broadcast 12 episodes of TIP drama (From village to town) 6 episodes in Dari and 6 episodes in Pashto languages. The drama focused on the risks associated with irregular migration and cultural forms of trafficking such as ad Dadan, Badal and Bacha Bazi. • Produced and broadcasted the following 4 radio feature stories focusing on real TIP cases, which are very prevalent in various provinces of Afghanistan. 2 stories were broadcasted in Pashto and 2 stories in Dari languages: - Female journalists exploited by a number of media organizations in Ghazni province. - Children and teenagers as intended target groups of terror group to commit criminal acts- such as placing mines in Jawzjan province (https://salamwatandar.com/english/Article.aspx?a=37202). - Children and teenagers as intended target groups of militias group in Helmand province (http://salamwatandar.com/english/article.aspx?a=36947). • Produced and broadcasted the following 8 radio segment focusing on women and children as women and children more vulnerable to human trafficking. 4 segments in Dari and 4 segments in Pashto languages, through its 86 partner radio stations all over Afghanistan: - A number of children are being dropped out of school by their teachers and school principals by force to perform vegetable collecting and wheat planting/harvesting in their gardens- Parwan Province. - Sexual exploitation of vulnerability and need- Logar province. - Work without agreement with women who work in the houses and lack of house owner’s attention to their rights- Balkh province. - Bacha Bazi, social stigma and the subsequent psychological harms for teenagers and youth victims- Baghlan province. 3. Pajhwok Afghan News: • published 1 TIP feature stories, on “He raped me after giving food”3 says a 12-year-old Herat boy, on its website in English, Dari and Pashto languages (https://goo.gl/FEjwTN ). The story was posted on Pajhwok social media sites with the following impact: - English version reached out by 12,783 people with 109 likes, 3 shares and 1 comment. - Pashto version reached out by 128,196 people with 1,200 likes, 13 shares and 45 comments. - Dari version reached out by 128,196 people with 625 likes, 3 shares and 5 comments. • Produced and published 5 TIP messages on social media (Facebook/Twitter) in English, Dari and Pashto languages to raise awareness on risk and vulnerabilities of trafficking.

4. Hagar International: • Conducted 16 trainings on “identification and rereferral of victims of trafficking to the relevant service providers” for TIP stakeholders in Badakhshan and Nimroz provinces. A total of 398 stakeholders were trained, including 154 females. The participants were among law enforcement officials of the Afghan government, relevant NGOs, academics, social and cultural Capacity Building training for Gov officials in Badakhshan leaders/Ullamas, care providers © Hagar Jan 23rd – 25th2018 (Photo: Hagar) and members of high-risk communities. The trainings were aimed to enable the participants to understand the risks and vulnerability of human trafficking, nexus of trafficking with migration and smuggling, how to refer VoTs to the relevant services providers and improve responses and assistance to victims of trafficking. • Conducted three monthly coalition meetings, in Kabul, Nimroz and Badakhshan. The propose of these coalition meetings were to raise awareness on the risks and vulnerability of trafficking in these provinces and discuss the role and responsibilities of provincial TIP commissions in strengthening coordination among relevant stakeholders to address TIP issues at provincial levels. 76 Key officials (17 female & 59 male) from the National Directorate of Security (NDS), the Directorate of Justice (DoJ), the Directorate of Women Affairs (DoWA), the Directorate of Hajj and Islamic Affairs (DoHIA), the Directorate of Education (DoE), the Appeal court, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Directorate of Communication and Information (DoCI), Provincial Officers from the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), the Directorate of Human Resources (DoHR), the Directorate of Public Health (DoPH), the Governor’s office, the Directorate of Refugees and Repatriation (DoRR), and a representative from the Afghanistan Radio and Television (RTA) attended the coalition meetings in respected provinces.

Planned Activities for the month of February 2018: • IOM , will coordinate with TIP high commission secretariat to present national TIP research’s findings and have their feedback and inputs on the report . • Pajhwok Afghan News, will publish 2 feature stories on its website and 5 TIP short messages on social media, (Facebook/Twitter). • Salam Watandar, will produce and broadcast 2 episodes of drama (From Village to Town), 1 radio feature stories and 4 radio segments on TIP awareness raising in both national languages Dari and Pashto. • Hagar, will conduct two capacity building training for Lecturers and Ullamas in Kabul province. • Conduct four awareness raising training for at risk communities in Kabul and Balkh provinces. • Conduct two capacity building training for care providers in Balkh province. • Conduct four capacity building training for Government officials in Kabul and Balkh provinces. • FRD, will organize two community based intervention events in Khost and Kapisa provinces. • Organize a Community Based Dialogue in Khost province. • Conduct 5th ANCTIP (Opening Ceremony) preparation meeting in Kabul. • Organize two volleyball tournaments - CTIP Cup in Khost and Kapisa provinces. • Organize one cricket tournament - CTIP Cup in Khost province.