Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05FRANKFURT3004
2005-04-15 14:56:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Frankfurt
Cable title:  

Baden-Wuerttemberg NGOs Target TIP Demand Reduction

Tags:  KCRM PGOV KWMN SMIG GM 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

151456Z Apr 05
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 FRANKFURT 003004 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PGOV KWMN SMIG GM
SUBJECT: Baden-Wuerttemberg NGOs Target TIP Demand Reduction

REF: A) 04 FRANKFURT 6697, B) BERLIN 0692, C) 04 STATE

166443

Sensitive but unclassified; not for Internet distribution

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 FRANKFURT 003004

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PGOV KWMN SMIG GM
SUBJECT: Baden-Wuerttemberg NGOs Target TIP Demand Reduction

REF: A) 04 FRANKFURT 6697, B) BERLIN 0692, C) 04 STATE

166443

Sensitive but unclassified; not for Internet distribution


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Baden-Wuerttemberg NGO Women's
Information Center (Fraueninformationszentrum) and
Protestant charity Diakonisches Werk (DW) have pioneered a
new TIP (trafficking in persons) secular outreach program
centered on reducing demand for trafficking victims forced
to work as prostitutes. The initiative includes TV
commercials, an Internet website, and a podium discussion
entitled "Men Bear Responsibilities" at this year's Lutheran
Church Congress in Hannover to explain the link between
customer demand and increased TIP victimization in order to
build awareness among men. The program is part of a
nationwide initiative by the Protestant Church to promote
demand reduction as an effective long-term strategy for
combating TIP. END SUMMARY.

--------------
Baden-Wuerttemberg TIP Overview
--------------


2. (SBU) Baden-Wuerttemberg reported 98 TIP victims in 2003,
up from 27 in 1999. Most victims come from Eastern Europe
and are in their teens. Law enforcement and government
officials attribute the increase to relaxed border controls
in the lead-up to EU enlargement in 2004. The Baden-
Wuerttemberg Social Ministry has announced plans to
implement the federal government's "cooperation concept,"
bringing together government officials, NGOs, law
enforcement agencies, health care providers and immigration
offices to assist TIP victims who testify against
traffickers. The program provides pre- and post-trial
assistance to these women and facilitates return to their
countries of origin.

--------------
Focusing Attention of Customers on Victims
--------------


3. (SBU) FIZ (Fraueninformationszentrum) Deputy Chairperson
Traute Wolk explained that changing the attitudes of
prospective customers of trafficked prostitutes was crucial
to making progress against TIP. Diakonisches Werk convened
a workshop in December of 2004 targeting demand reduction
and the responsibility of male clients of prostitution to
identify possible TIP victims. The workshop included
representatives from the Family Ministry and other parts of
the federal government. Wolk told ConGen representative that
FIZ and Diakonisches Werk would soon debut a multimedia
initiative targeting men to raise their awareness of the
problem. The program will include a website and two
television commercials ("Human trafficking - why does it
concern me?" and the short film "Lilya - 4 Ever") that
depict the fate of trafficked women. This year's German
Protestant Church Congress (an annual three-day series of
events sponsored by the Protestant Church and open to the
public) in Hannover will include a discussion of this topic
as part of the "Men Bear Responsibilities" campaign. The
coalition distributed over 32,000 copies of its flyer
"Prostitution and Human Trafficking -- Why Should We Care?"
in 2004 and convened a working-level meeting focused on
demand reduction for TIP experts in March.


4. (U) The FIZ also plans to target traditionally male-
dominated clubs (e.g., for sports or hunting),particularly
in rural areas. The effort includes speakers who will
explain TIP to male audiences, providing potential male
customers a list of signs that might indicate a prostitute
is a TIP victim.

--------------
Assistance to TIP Victims
--------------


5. (U) Wolk has extensive experience in TIP issues. The
organization has provided assistance to TIP victims since
1988 and receives funding from the Baden-Wuerttemberg
government. FIZ assistance ranges from counseling to
immigration assistance and German language training. The
FIZ and Diakonisches Werk also provide housing to TIP
victims not selected to participate in the state's witness
protection program. (NOTE: Not all victims are selected as
witnesses for each individual case, since B-W prosecutors
typically do not need all the TIP victims in a given case to
testify as the information supplied varies little from
victim to victim -- END NOTE.) They also maintain contact
with women's NGOs in many TIP countries of origin, working
with the latter to facilitate victim repatriation.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------

6. (SBU) As part of a Mission Germany effort, the Consul
General stressed strong USG support for state-level measures
to reduce TIP demand as part of the 2004 benchmarks for
Germany (ref C) in calls on the Interior Ministers from
Hesse, Baden-Wuerttemberg, and Rheinland-Pfalz. This NGO
initiative demonstrates B-W's growing recognition of the
need to address demand for trafficked prostitutes as part of
preventing and fighting TIP. END COMMENT.

BODDE
_______________________________
1Needs a Hamburg clearance (Hannover conference).