The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls - UNFPA

<strong>The</strong> UNIFEM assessment No Safe Place:Violence Against Women notes
that Kosovo, once a transit route for traffickers, is now also a destination point
and a new market for sex traders. <strong>The</strong>re is no doubt that the presence <strong>of</strong>
thousands <strong>of</strong> international troops, UNMIK and other international staff have
increased the trafficking. Despite a new regulation and serious efforts by KFOR,
police and international agencies that attempt to stop trafficking, the results
appear to be limited. <strong>The</strong>re is more awareness <strong>of</strong> the serious effects <strong>of</strong>
trafficking, the impact on the lives <strong>of</strong> the women involved and the society, but it is
not enough. <strong>The</strong> women are moved constantly to new places; new clubs and
brothels are opened; and there is enough corruption to cover and replace their
criminals. So far, there is little evidence <strong>of</strong> the trafficking <strong>of</strong> women out <strong>of</strong>
Kosovo.
An IOM report <strong>of</strong> 15 June 2001 reveals that 160 young women, all victims
<strong>of</strong> trafficking, had been assisted and returned to their home countries between
February 2000 and May 2001. Most <strong>of</strong> these women came from Bulgaria, the
Republic <strong>of</strong> Moldova, Romania and Ukraine. <strong>The</strong>y were 18-24 years <strong>of</strong> age and
single; most had been living with their families. Most had no access to health
care, and the use <strong>of</strong> condoms was alarmingly low. 70 According to the information
given by these women, 70-80 per cent <strong>of</strong> the “clients” are Kosovo-Albanians, and
20-30 per cent, international staff members. <strong>The</strong> central questions are how many
women died as a result, and how many cannot return to their home countries?
During the summer <strong>of</strong> 2001, UNFPA and UNIFEM personnel visited the
only prison for women in Kosovo to find out about the needs <strong>of</strong> the prisoners,
their health situations and how the prison could be assisted in developing
programmes for the women there. To their surprise, they discovered that most <strong>of</strong>
the prisoners had been trafficked women from the above-mentioned countries.
<strong>The</strong>y had been arrested for prostitution, captured during police raids on brothels,
or because they had false or no documents. Many <strong>of</strong> them stated that they
neither could nor would go back home, either because <strong>of</strong> shame or because
nothing awaited them there. Most <strong>of</strong> them were imprisoned for short periods <strong>of</strong>
time. IOM was informed about the situation, and the agency will do whatever
possible to help the young women.
During the author’s stay, two campaigns were organized to raise
awareness on the necessity <strong>of</strong> stopping trafficking in women. <strong>The</strong> goal was to
inform people about how trafficking is organized and its dangers and
implications, and to stress that although “clients” are paying by the hour, women
can be paying with their lives.
<strong>The</strong>re have been requests for an international Code <strong>of</strong> Conduct forbidding
all international agency workers in Kosovo to buy sex. Some <strong>of</strong> the armies have
70 IOM Report on Trafficking in Women (Kosovo, June 2001).
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