REMEMBERING WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO HUMAN TRAFFICKERS
March 8th is an important day of celebration for our global community. On this day each year, we celebrate the strength and potential of all women.
International Women’s Day is an occasion when communities on all continents, often divided by cultural, economic and political differences come together to celebrate the vital role and contribution of women in our world.
Today we remember all mothers, sisters and daughters. We witness the essential role of every woman across the globe. We also remember any woman who may not feel loved and nurtured, all women in danger, and all those risking their lives or suffering abuse of any kind.
As sisters and brothers in Christ, we remember that exploitation of the vulnerable in our world continues. Men and women are targeted for human trafficking in every part of the world, with suffering experienced at individual, family and community level, regardless of gender or geography. We turn our hearts to all our brothers and sisters who suffer deprivation and indignity caused by their fellow human beings through this form of exploitation.
You are invited to share the prayer (available HERE) for this day. It was developed by members of the Commission for Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation in Rome, who bring a focus to Human Trafficking. The intent is to celebrate this International Women’s Day, mindful of the need for continued change in this world. We encourage all consecrated religious throughout the world to join in prayer with our sisters and brothers, friends and collaborators everywhere. Adaptation and use of this prayer in any ministry setting is welcomed
We recommend that action is taken alongside prayer for International Women’s Day. This might include finding ways to celebrate women, mindful also of continued suffering and the need for change.
(JPIC Commission Secretariat USG/UISG)
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES
Soul Sisters: Women in Scripture Speak to Women Today – Edwina Gately, Orbis Books, 2002.
Behold a woman – Camilla Burns, in Contact (WCC) No 184, May 2007
SOME WEBSITES
UNANIMA:
http://www.unanima-international.org/
CATW (The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-International) http://www.catwinternational.org/
ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans) http://www.acrath.org.au
US Dept of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP),
www.state.gov/g/tip
The Polaris Project
http://www.polarisproject.org/
http://actioncenter.polarisproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=6&Itemid=68)
http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=14509
http://www.immigrantcouncil.ie
www.ruhama.ie
