HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN ISRAEL TAKES CENTER STAGE AT EFFIE AWARDS WITH HUGE WIN

Colleagues,

Elie Klein of Finn Partners Israel for ATZUMl shares an email ...

"ATZUM (www.ATZUM.org) is happy to announce that its collaborator, Y&R Israel, was awarded the 2012 Effie Award for Excellence in Non-Profit Advertising for developing the ‘Women To Go’ awareness campaign for the Task Force on Human Trafficking (TFHT), a project of ATZUM and the law firm Kabiri-Nevo-Keidar.

The ongoing campaign, which seeks to raise public awareness about sex trafficking and prostitution in Israel by exposing these corruptions of human dignity in a public space, features models posing in a storefront as “merchandise” complete with price tags and product information.  Volunteers stand outside to inform startled passersby how they can participate in the campaign against sex trafficking.

Because the Effie Awards are the top prize in the advertising industry, this is a huge win for ATZUM and its human trafficking awareness efforts."

And here is the full press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN ISRAEL TAKES CENTER STAGE AT EFFIE AWARDS WITH HUGE WIN

Y&R ISRAEL TAKES HOME 2012 NON-PROFIT ADVERTISING TROPHY FOR ATZUM’S “WOMEN TO GO” CAMPAIGN

 

(JERUSALEM, Israel – November 18, 2012) ATZUM(www.ATZUM.org) announced today that collaborator Y&R Israel was awarded the 2012 Effie Award for Excellence in Non-Profit Advertising earlier this month for developing the ‘Women To Go’awareness campaign for the Task Force on Human Trafficking (TFHT), a project of ATZUM and the law firm Kabiri-Nevo-Keidar.

The ongoing campaign, which seeks to raise public awareness about sex trafficking and prostitution in Israel by exposing these corruptions of human dignity in a public space, features models posing in a storefront as “merchandise” complete with price tags and product information.  Volunteers stand outside to inform startled passersby how they can participate in the campaign against sex trafficking.

The first ‘Women To Go’ campaign in Tel Aviv in October 2010garnered award-winning, extensive international media coverage and helped raise awareness about proposed Israeli legislation to criminalize the act of purchasing sexual services.

"Receiving an international Effie Award – the top prize in the advertising industry – for this truly unique collaboration is a tremendous achievement for Y&R Israel and the entire TFHT team," said Rabbi Levi Lauer, Founding Executive Director of ATZUM. 

"It is essential that we continue to run the ‘Women To Go’ campaign internationally and construct new awareness initiatives that will make it perfectly clear that by tolerating the sale of a woman’s body, society has reduced women to a mere commodity."

It is estimated that there are more than 10,000 persons forced into prostitution in Israel, including 5,000 minors.  Israel has been a destination country for more than 25,000 victims of human trafficking since the 1990s.  Most of Israel's prostituted women and sex slaves  experience appreciable violence at the hands of their clients, procurers and traffickers.  These clients come from every segment of society and every ethnic, religious and social-economic stratum.

"The first step in fostering change is creating awareness, and the ‘Women To Go’ campaign is a highly effective method to clearly illustrate the horrors of prostitution – what it means for the oppressed and what it says about the world in which we live," said Kayla Zecher, the Projects Coordinator for TFHT. “We cannot allow human slavery and prostitution to remain shrouded in mystery.  We must shine a spotlight on these egregious violations of human rights and encourage dialogue and legislation that will end the evil.”

The Effie Awards recognize the most effective international advertising efforts each year, including any and all forms of marketing communication that contribute to a brand’s success. Since 1968, winning an Effie has become a globally acknowledged mark of achievement.

In 2003, ATZUM joined forces with Kabiri-Nevo-Keidar (www.knklaw.com) and established the TFHT to help Israel put an end to human trafficking within its borders.  TFHT works tirelessly to engage and educate the public and government agencies to confront and eradicate modern slavery in Israel, and lobbies for reform in the areas of prevention, border closure, protection of escaped women, and the prosecution of traffickers and pimps.

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ATZUM – Justice Works (www.ATZUM.org) was established in 2002 to seek remedy for injustices in Israeli society and encourage individuals to become social activists and agents of change. ATZUM’s projects focus on engaging the public and government agencies to combat and eradicate human trafficking in Israel; distributing funds and providing educational resources to families of survivors of terror attacks in Israel; meeting basic needs and providing geriatric care for Righteous Among the Nations who saved Jewish lives during the Holocaust and now reside in Israel; and empowering Ethiopian youth to bridge the generation gap in Israel's Ethiopian community.

By drastically reducing administrative and general overhead costs, ATZUM ensures that every dollar donated significantly benefits their social action initiatives in Israel.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Elie Klein

Finn Partners Israel for ATZUM

Cell: + 972-54-467-6967

Office: + 972-2-589-2013

Email: elie@finnpartners.co.il