The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls - UNFPA

Trafficking in Women
Eastern Europe
In Eastern and Central Europe, sexual exploitation and trafficking in
women has become a major criminal enterprise and, hence, a significant issue in
the region. Trafficking in human beings is <strong>of</strong>ten defined as a modern form <strong>of</strong>
slavery since it involves deception, coercion, and forced and violent sex.
Trafficking in women is generally conducted for sexual exploitation and forced
prostitution. One estimate revealed that more than 200,000 women are trafficked
annually in Eastern and Central Europe. It is not known how many <strong>of</strong> them are
trafficked into particular countries. Estimates for Bosnia and Herzegovina, for
example, range from 4,000 to 20,000 girls and young women. <strong>The</strong> trafficking
business attracts women and young girls through false promises <strong>of</strong> jobs as
dancers, models, nannies, waitresses and others.
<strong>The</strong> circumstances that contribute to trafficking in Eastern and Central
Europe are tw<strong>of</strong>old. Receiving countries in the Balkans (Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Macedonia, Kosovo) are the post-conflict transitional regions
struggling to reconstruct their economies and their political and legal systems.
Eastern European countries from the former Eastern bloc, such as the Republic
<strong>of</strong> Moldova and Romania, gained independence, and with it changed their
economic and political systems. Transitional processes in both receiving and
sending countries have had devastating consequences for their populations.
Economic hardship and poverty are most significant. Traffickers capitalize on
huge unemployment and disintegrating social networks in the poorer countries <strong>of</strong>
Central Europe and the former Soviet Union.
Once they are rescued by police and assisted by NGO-based shelters, the
main problem trafficked women and girls face is their health, particularly
reproductive health conditions. Often they are afraid to address these, as the
problems are varied and great. Working in the sex trade industry involves
exposure to violent sexual abuse and repeated rapes, which make them
extremely vulnerable to STIs, including HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies.
<strong>The</strong> IOM experience with rescued trafficked women reveals that some
women report subjection to repeated violent rapes, beatings, torture and
inhumane sexual abuse by clients and traffickers. As such, protection <strong>of</strong>
reproductive health and human rights is addressed as an urgent human rights
and public health priority. 23 Also, trafficked women have had scarce access to
reproductive health information and services, a fact that increases their
vulnerability and need for assistance. This is why UNFPA suggested jointly (with
IOM) addressing the reproductive health needs <strong>of</strong> trafficked women in Bosnia
23 UNMIBH, Legal and Human Rights Offices, UNOHCHR, Report on Joint Trafficking Project <strong>of</strong>
UNMIBH/OHCHR (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2000).
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