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NOV-DEC 2016 PROGRESS REPORT Thank you for your continued support of PROJECT FUTURES. This report provides a summary of some of the great work happening on the ground in Cambodia and Australia through our Impact Partners, as well as an update on the issue. For more information, please get in touch, visit our website or follow us on social media @projectfutures
DESPITE LAWS, INCIDENCE OF FOR CED MAR R IAGE REMAIN AN ISSUE AFFECTING WOMEN & GIR LS IN AU STRALIA. Laws passed by the Labor government in 2013 made it illegal to coerce, threaten or deceive someone into marriage in Australia, but forced marriage continues to be described as an emerging problem. Our Impact Partner, The Salvation Army’s Trafficking and Slavery Safe House have witnessed similar trends, with over 30% of all referrals received related to incidents of forced marriage alone. The Safe House provides:
CO N FI D ENTIAL ADVI C E
L E AVI N G MY H O M E AN D FAM I LY WAS A VERY D I FFI CU LT D EC ISI O N TO MAKE . I FELT LO N ELY AN D D I D N ’T KN OW WHAT I WAS DO I N G , B UT I KN EW I OWED IT TO MYSEL F TO HAVE A L I FE THAT I AM P RO U D O F AN D THAT MAKES M E HAP PY. I N OW SU P P O RT OTH ERS FAC I N G SI M I L AR D EC ISI O NS AN D AM RE AL LY P RO U D O F TH E CO NTRI B UTI O N I CAN MAKE TO SO M EO N E’S L I FE .
H O USI N G & C ASE M AN AG EM ENT
P EER SU P P O RT
2016 saw the expansion and development of the ‘Peer Mentoring’ element of the Freedom Advocates. A program funded by PROJECT FUTURES. Peer mentoring provides a unique opportunity for individuals who have experienced or who are facing early and forced marriage to meet with somebody who has had a similar experience and who can offer guidance, resources, information and reassurance in the decisions that they make.
- P EE R M ENTO R
FO RCED MA R R IAGE R EP R ES ENTED 41 % O F A L L H U MA N T R A FFI C KI NG R E FE R R A L S R ECEIVED BY TH E AUST R A L IA N FED E R A L P O L ICE I N 201 5-201 6
I N 201 6 , TH E SA FE HOUS E A S S I S TE D 1 5 I N DI VI DUA L S A FFEC TED BY FO RCED MA R R IAGE
CASE STUDY: The Australian Federal Police contacted The Salvation Army after meeting with Nisha*. Nisha was unsure about what would happen if she didn’t marry the man her parents chose for her. Nisha met with a peer who shared her own experience of being in the same situation. The mentor understood Nisha’s family relationships first hand and the difficulty of going against the wishes of her parents, siblings and others in the community. Nisha made the difficult decision to leave home with the support of a Safe House Case Manager earlier this year and is now living independently with a full time job. “Being able to meet with a peer mentor was a turning point. I was able to see that I could have a good life even if I didn’t do what my parents wanted. It was reassuring to know I wasn’t alone and that many of the negative things my parents said would happen, didn’t.”
* Name changed to protect the individual
GROWING DEMAND FOR BRIDES Srey* is a 26 year old woman who has been supported by AFESIP Cambodia for many years, but who in September 2016 completed her Hospitality Diploma and gained full-time employment at a local cafe in Phnom Penh. Srey is the youngest of six daughters from a poor farming family located in the Kandal Province of South-East Cambodia. She is also a survivor of human trafficking. She worked for a number of years in a garment factory that unexpectedly went backrupt. Desperate to find an alternative source of income to help support her family, she was approached by a community recruiter and broker (who also happened to be her cousin) promising a highly paid job in China. In taking the position, the broker offered a loan of $2,200 USD to help pay off her family debt with the expectation that she would work off the value quickly once in China. The broker prepared and paid for all of her travel documents, organising for Srey to fly from Siem Reap to Beijing within a few days. The growing demand for foreign brides in China has created an emerging market for traffickers in the region. Cambodian women, eager to escape impoverished lives in rural villages, are entering brokered marriages to Chinese men in the hope of a more lucrative life. In reality, many women find themselves deceived about their new living conditions, with many resettled in rural China forced to work on farms or as domestic helpers, with some experiencing abuse at the hands of their husbands. Srey and the girls she was travelling with were some of the lucky ones. Immigration police at Siem Reap Airport grew suspicious of the group, notifying the anti-trafficking and juvenile protection bureau immediately. They arrested the woman who was to escort them into China and the three girls, including Srey, were referred to AFESIP Cambodia. The female suspect was charged with suspected human trafficking offences and detained in jail. While in the care of AFESIP’s recovery centre, Srey was afforded safe and secure housing, legal assistance, medical care, counseling support and other life skills training before enrolling in her chosen vocational skills course.
I am very happy and proud to have graduated now able to use a skill I love to earn money and support my family. I like making food. When I have enough money, I want to open my own small restaurant. It is a dream I have had since I was young.
Her dream is to run her own small restaurant. * Name changed to protect the individual
It costs $2500 USD for one girl to train in her chosen vocation. An allowance of around $75 USD is awarded each month to those studying to support their basic needs.
EXPERIENCE CAMBODIA BY BIKE THIS OCTOBER!
FACTS ABOUT CAMBODIA* There are an estimated 256,800 people enslaved in Cambodia. Approximately 22% are victims of forced marriage In 2014, UNICEF reported 18% of Cambodian women marry before they are 18 years old. *Global Slavery Index 2016, Walk Free Foundation
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