DAR ES SALAAM: Journalists have been called upon to lead the fight against human trafficking by amplifying their voices through impactful reporting and raising public awareness.
This call was made during a one-day capacity-building seminar for journalists organized by the Tanzania Relief Initiative (TRI) in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking at the seminar, TRI’s Chief Executive Officer, Advocate Edwin Mugambila, stated that the organization was prompted to hold the seminar after noticing that a significant number of human trafficking incidents in communities go underreported.
Mr. Mugambila noted that human trafficking is one of the covert transnational organized crimes, requiring specialized techniques and keen awareness to recognize its indicators and red flags.
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“Media is a key stakeholder in fighting not only human trafficking but all other kinds of crimes. So we thought this would be a groundbreaking training where media stakeholders would gain insights into the critical issues regarding human trafficking, including what it is, how it is committed, who is involved, the indicators, and how to distinguish it from incidents like immigrant smuggling,” he said.
Commenting on the state of human trafficking in Tanzania, Advocate Mugambila described the situation as “not yet good,” adding that Tanzania remains a source, transit, and destination country for trafficking victims.
He elaborated that globally, over 70 percent of trafficking victims are women and children. In Tanzania, over 90 percent of the victims are women and children, primarily from poor families in rural areas.
“This is where traffickers exploit vulnerabilities; poverty-stricken communities are the most at risk. These are the issues we want journalists to highlight and report on as much as possible. Journalists can play a significant role in ensuring that communities are aware of these gross human rights violations, allowing law enforcement agencies to act by prosecuting those responsible,” he added.
“By prosecuting traffickers to the full extent of the law—incarcerating them, imposing fines on them, and compensating victims—the trafficking network will be dismantled, and victims will receive the protection mandated by law.”
Moreover, he noted that 50 percent of victims are trafficked for sexual exploitation, 30 percent for forced labor, 6 percent for criminal activities, 1.5 percent for begging, and 1 percent for forced marriage. According to the CEO, for every human trafficking case reported globally, five victims are women, and two are girls.
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Frank Gollwitzer, Resident Representative of the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Tanzania and Uganda, commended TRI for its efforts in educating society on recognizing human trafficking indicators and reporting incidents.
He emphasized the importance of journalists gaining deeper knowledge of this sensitive topic.
The seminar sponsored by the Hanns Seidel Foundation addressed topics such as the definition of human trafficking, relevant laws, institutions, referral systems, indicators of human trafficking, key considerations for journalists, types and trends of trafficking in Tanzania, the responsibilities of journalists, and best practices for reporting on cases involving minors under 18.
