"As a boy, Ramasoami was
put to work looking after his owners cows. Later he was made to plow with oxen, cut trees and dig the land. He was not paid
any money for his work, receiving only poor-quality food that left him weak. If Ramasoami was ill, Kalai, his boss, would
drag him out of his hut by one leg and give him beatings that left terrible scars.
At
age 22 Ramasoami married Kalimall, who was 11 at the time. Marriages at such an early age are not uncommon among tribal peoples.
After marriage she weeded the land, fed the cows and did domestic work for the owner. If Kalimall tried to feed her own family
before going to work, the bosss wife would throw stones at her. When she refused to wash the bosss body and give him a massage,
she was beaten.
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This was
the worst period of our lives, Ramasoami said. Unable to stand up for themselves, they lived in constant fear. He ashamedly
admitted that Kalai had raped his wife more than once. There was nothing Ramasoami could do about it. If he protested too
loudly, he might be beaten to deathand he would not be the first to die in such a way at the hands of Kalai."
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"War with India seemed quite possible while we were in Pakistan.
All the villages along the Indian border had been evacuated, disrupting lives, and tensions were high in Kashmir. Yet grassroots
peacemaking efforts between Pakistanis and Indians in both countries and across the border were very active. Citizens Against
War 26 eminent persons each from India and Pakistan, including Dr. Mubashir Hasan, with whom we metwrote in June, We believe
there are no outstanding problems, including terrorism and Kashmir, which cannot be solved peacefully.
The
countries of origin where the traffickers go to get women are mostly poor, developing and wartorn nations, countries in economic
transition etc.The latest IOM figures on the global scale of trafficking and some other existing researches show that a great
number of women are trafficked from African countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Mali, Zambia, Gambia, Togo, Ethiopia Democratic
Republic of Congo. The destination is both within Africa itself and to countries in Europe, United States, Canada and Middle
Eastern countries such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon. In Asia, the countries of origin are principally
Vietnam {northern regions), Cambodia {north and northwest), Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Philippines. Whereas the
countries of destination are China, Taiwan, Cambogia, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Japan,
Middle East countries, United States, Australia, New Zealand. |
From Eastern
Europe and Central Asia women are trafficked from Kazakhstan (southern), Kyrgyztan, Tajikistan and Georgia to United Arab
Emirates, Greece, Turkey, China and Europe. Trafficking in women is on the rise also from the former Soviet Union: Russia,
Ukraine, Lithuania, Moldavia. The destinations are Turkey, Israel, and European countries mainly Germany, Italy, Greece and
Switzerland. A great number are trafficked also from Romania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Albania. The data available shows that
women trafficked in Latin America are mostly from Colombia, Ecuador and Central American countries to Europe, United States
and lately even to Southeast Asia.
As for statistics, the most recent global estimates of the scale of trafficking
in women and children prepared by the US government in 1998 says that between 700,000 and 2 million women and children are
trafficked across international borders annually. However, the proceedings to arrive at such figures are unclear and therefore
it is difficult to provide exact statistics.
http://www.maryknoll.org/MEDIA/xMAGAZINE/xmag2002/xmag09/m9s3.htm
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