MINISTER of Human Services and Labour, Mrs. Bibi Shadick is continuing the fight against trafficking in persons.
She yesterday met officials of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) at their Woolford Avenue, Georgetown headquarters to enlist the organisation’s aid in fighting the phenomenon.
At the meeting, Shadick provided members of the CIOG with some background information on the issue of TIP, in addition to updating them on the ministry’s progress in tackling the trade.
She noted that so far she has met representatives of various chambers of commerce; the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC; and members of the Christian community.
She says she plans to meet members of the Hindu community some time soon.
Shadick – herself a Muslim – says that much of what the ministry is combating in relation to the TIP issue goes against the tenets of Islam as well as those of the other main religions in Guyana.
She urged the CIOG to help to combat TIP by sensitising their members on the issue, through the mosques across the country.
The minister related the findings of her recent trip to the mining community of Mahdia.
She said that while there, she did not encounter trafficking in persons per se, but discovered endemic prostitution, which she said is unambiguously a criminal activity, punishable under the law.
President of the CIOG, Mr. Fazeel Ferouz welcomed the initiative by the minister Shadick, saying that the government needs to be more proactive on some issues.
He cited the lack of enforcement of Guyana’s laws against prostitution as an example.
He feels that Guyana should not wait until it is called by countries like the United States to take action on certain issues.
Ferouz said action needs to be taken to protect the people of Guyana from certain dangers.
In response, Shadick said that concerted government action against exploitation of persons, especially women and children, had been in the formulation stages since earlier this year.
She said a document had been drafted since April, which will now be updated to deal with the specific issue of TIP.
Guyana is listed as being under Tier Three in the current U.S. State Department Report on Trafficking in Persons.
Tier Three is the lowest possible level, meaning that Guyana does not currently do enough to combat TIP.
Guyana was recently given a 60-day deadline – expiring in August – in which it must undertake action to be listed as at least Tier Two.
Failure to comply could mean sanctions, most likely in the withdrawal of humanitarian aid to Guyana.
TIP-specific legislation is being drafted and will be tabled in Parliament sometime early next month, officials said.