Source: WNN – Women News Network
Kelly Matheson – WNN Justice
A map from the WomenStats Project shows the countries and regions where women and girls are currently being trafficked. Image: WSP
(WNN/WITNESS) Atlanta, GEORGIA, U.S.: Sexual slavery is now happening inall six United Nations Regional Groups as human traffickers target women and girls. Most from poverty, broken homes and abuse. Because of this they are more vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation by traffickers. This first hand story by Kelly Matheson comes with an important video produced by ‘stop human trafficking’ advocates ECPAT-USA with the online human rights video documentary community site called WITNESS:
While at the convening of the U.S. Human Rights Network last December I did a pre-release screening of a new documentary co-produced by ECPAT-USA and WITNESS. The video, “What I Have Been Through is Not Who I Am,” tells the story of Katrina, a formerly sexually exploited teen who was arrested, when she should have been protected. No one in this small audience could believe that, in the U.S., we jail children who are bought and sold for sex, rationalizing that prison will protect them from their traffickers. Admittedly, when I first heard about this back in August of 2010, I did not believe it either. But we do do this.
In thinking about this reality for exploited children, I asked myself, if I am raped should I be imprisoned to protect me from my rapist? If my domestic partner physically abuses me in my own home, should I be imprisoned to protect me from my domestic partner? The answer is black and white. It’s no. And it’s this very contradiction in laws across the U.S. that the film Not Who I Am addresses and which our partner, ECPAT-USA is working to change.
In the documentary, Katrina, tells the story of being lured into the sex industry while still a teen, and the abuse she suffered from a trafficker who keep her in that life. Her compelling and emotional story takes us from Atlanta to New York City and to Atlanta again, from desperation to recovery and success. Her story illustrates the failure of the criminal justice system to help these youth and call on our state legislatures to stand up and make justice a reality for our country’s exploited children.
Here is Katrina’s story, a story that mirrors that of thousands of young girls and boys in every corner of my country:
_______________________________________________
“What I Have Been Through is Not Who I Am” is a documentary exploring “the life” through the eyes of one of child prostitution’s many victims. Experts and legislators way in on what is being done to ensure that prostituted children are not treated as criminals as well as what obstacles still need to be overcome. This heart wrenching documentary is an informative look at the hidden world of commercial sexual exploitation of children and what government, law enforcement, and non-profits are doing to combat it. The trailer (3 mins) is available here: http://youtu.be/j4l7vSUhkew. This video is co-produced by ECPAT-USA and WITNESS.
(Video) Uploaded on Dec 6, 2011 (to youtube)
From http://www.witness.org & http://ecpatusa.org/ | "What I Have Been Through is Not Who I Am" is a documentary exploring "the life" through the eyes of one of child prostitution's many victims. Experts and legislators way in on what is being done to ensure that prostituted children are not treated as criminals as well as what obstacles still need to be overcome. This heart wrenching documentary is an informative look at the hidden world of commercial sexual exploitation of children and what government, law enforcement, and non-profits are doing to combat it.
You can watch the full length film (21 mins) on our partner ECPAT-USA's channel here: http://youtu.be/BmmRTjoL3R0
You can watch the full length film (21 mins) on our partner ECPAT-USA's channel here: http://youtu.be/BmmRTjoL3R0
Category
License
Standard YouTube License
No comments:
Post a Comment