The Coordination Unit Against Violence Against Women of the Government Delegation in Melilla has organized the V Conference on Trafficking in Women and Girls for the Purpose of Sexual Exploitation, which in this edition is entitled “Critical Approaches on Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking”.
A few days that will take place in the Command of the Civil Guard of Melilla on 24 and 25 September, coinciding with the commemoration of the International Day against Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Women, Girls and Children (23 September), and will take place tomorrow, starting at 9:30 a.m.
This activity is organized by the Coordination Unit Against Violence Against Women of the Government Delegation in Melilla, in collaboration with Fiet, an organization specialized in human trafficking and sexual exploitation, whose main objective is to create opportunities for integral development for the most disadvantaged people who incur in situations of vulnerability. They also have the participation of different institutions, international organizations and entities linked to the fight against trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Structure of the Conference
In these days two individual presentations will be offered and two tables will be developed to address the reality of trafficking from different areas and where issues of interest to the different agents who in Melilla fight against this serious violation of Human Rights will be addressed, also deepening the local reality and generating times of exchange with the attendees in which to resolve doubts and establish alliances for collaboration.
Next Wednesday, September 24, the days will be inaugurated by the Colonel Chief of the Command of the Civil Guard of Melilla, the Chief Commissioner, Regional Chief of Operations of the Superior Police Headquarters of Melilla and the Government Delegate in Melilla, and presented and moderated by the Head of the Coordination Unit against Violence Against Women.
They will begin with the round table, “Health Impacts: Prostitution, Pornography and Sexual Exploitation”, with the participation of the Chief Prosecutor of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Area of Melilla, Laura Santa Pau; the Director of the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Melilla, Raquel Carbajo; representatives of Melilla Welcomes and Doctors of the World; and the Psychologist of the 24-hour Crisis Center, Chahida Abdeselam.
Next, a first presentation, entitled “Invisible exploitation: physical and mental wounds of prostitution and trafficking”, will be offered by Elisabeth Arrojo Álvarez, Medical Director of the Medical Institute of Advanced Oncology (INMOA).
And a second presentation entitled “The emotional impact and its effect on the recovery process of the victim of trafficking and/or sexual exploitation”, offered by Fiona May Bellshaw, Founder of Fiet.
On Thursday, September 25, the second round table will be held, “Emerging technologies: challenges in prevention and intervention”, with the participation of the Lieutenant Chief of the Human Trafficking Section of the UCO of the Civil Guard, Félix Durán; the Chief Inspector of Group VI of the Central UCRIF of the General Commissariat of Aliens and Borders, specialized in Cybertrafficking of the National Police, Clemente Fuerte; the Provincial Director of Education and Professional Training in Melilla, Elena Treviana
And then there will be the third and last presentation, by Marlen Moreno Baptista, Head of IT and Transformation at the NGO Fiet, entitled “Prostitution in the digital age: Emerging technologies and Artificial Intelligence”, with which the conference will end.
Prevention and action
As Laura Segura has explained, these Days will focus on prevention and action against trafficking, sexual exploitation and prostitution of women and girls in Spain from a critical and multidisciplinary approach. The main contents will address the impact on the health of the victims and its effect on the recovery process, as well as the challenges in prevention and intervention in the face of emerging technologies.
The Head of the Unit has advanced that the response for the protection of victims against this serious violation of Human Rights will be treated from an abolitionist perspective, as well as situations of vulnerability and risk and the main challenges from the experience of institutions and organizations that provide care to women and minors in the context of sexual exploitation, which will offer their vision from each of their areas of work in the city.
Hidden Reality
Segura has recalled that the sexual exploitation and trafficking of women, girls and children for the purpose of sexual exploitation represent a serious violation of Human Rights that affects thousands of people every year in our country and is a crime that attacks the most vulnerable people, a form of slavery that turns the human being into a simple commodity.
“Trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation is a reality, which has remained hidden and violates the dignity of the person, his freedom and equality and is one of the cruellest forms of violence against women,” he said.
In the words of the Head of Unit, “we cannot fail to remember that the fate of victims of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is prostitution. Therefore, the demand for prostitution is identified as one of the main causes of this serious attack on human rights. And society’s rejection of the consumption of people and the commercialization and reification of the body of women and girls is fundamental for its eradication.”
Finally, it has stressed that if you are being trafficked or sexually exploited or if you believe that a woman or girl is being trafficked or sexually exploited, you should inform the authorities as soon as possible.
To do this you can call the toll-free number 900105090, or put your suspicions to the attention of the National Police and the Civil Guard in one of the following places: Trafficking@policia.es, Trafficking@guardiacivil.org. You can also call 016 or use an emergency means to communicate this situation, such as the 112 emergency telephone, as this is a serious crime.