www.ijsernet.org Page 129
OVERCOMING VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING DISCRIMINATION IN
THE LABOR MARKET
RETA PINDERI
Faculty of Social Science/ University of Tirana
ABSTRACT
Human trafficking is considered a gender-specific phenomenon. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by modern slavery, accounting for 28.7 million, or 71 per cent of the overall total. More precisely, women and girls represent 99 per cent of victims of forced labor in the commercial sex industry and 58 per cent in other sectors (ILO, 2017). A complex set of “push and pull” factors have identified that women and girls are more vulnerable to trafficking.
The consequences of this expanding trade in human beings include significant human rights abuses and wide-ranging social, political and economic distortions (Yea 2004).
The main objective of the study was to identify the perspective of the representatives of National Employment Service/ Regional Employment offices and business companies on their role for supporting and increasing the chances for enrollment of the victims of trafficking exploited for sexual purposes in the formal labor market in Albania.
Semi-structured interviews were used to collect primary qualitative data from 25 key informants, from which 10 representatives of National Employment Service/ Regional Employment offices and 15 representatives of business companies operating in Albania. The study found out that the leading role to encourage the business companies to support victims of trafficking involvement in the labor market goes to the respective strategies/ programs developed and implemented by state institutions, which should be followed by a dedicated budgeting to ensure their implementation properly.
Keywords: Human trafficking, reintegration process, victims of trafficking, labor market, business companies, employment offices.
INTRODUCTION
When trafficking exploitation ends, victims face a new set of challenges as they return and integrate into their home environment (Brunovskis & Surtees, 2012). A central feature of successful re/integration is access to a reasonable (and sustainable) standard of living, along with opportunities for economic growth (Surtees, 2012).
www.ijsernet.org Page 130 Victims of trafficking exploited for sexual purposes face stigmatization and discrimination in the labor market due to their trafficking experience. The main source of stigmatization comes from the employees, who usually lack information in regard to the trafficking phenomenon and victims themselves.
METHODOLOGY
Considering the complexity and specificity of the issue, the qualitative research method was considered to be the most appropriate to use in this study. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect primary qualitative data from the study participants.
The main research question of the study was:
- What is the perspective of service providers (National Employment Service/ Regional Employment offices / business companies about the mechanisms that could lead to sustainable employment of VoT in the labor market?
The type of sampling selected for this study is purposive sampling (part of non- probability sampling). "Purposive sampling involves identifying and selecting individuals or groups of individuals that are especially knowledgeable about or experienced with a phenomenon of interest” (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011)
The sample of key informants representatives of National Employment Service/ Regional Employment offices were composed by: 7 females and 3 males; their age ranged from 33 to 55 years; All interviewed representatives had a considerable work experience within the respective institutions that ranged from 4 to 21 years; In terms of job position: 3 interviewees were directors, 1 service chief, 1 sector responsible and 5 service specialists.
The sample of representatives of business companies were composed by: 10 of the respondents were females and 5 males; Age of interviewees ranged from 25 to 55 years; the type of selected companies was diverse ranging from factories (tailoring, leather processing, paper, wood etc), pastry, restaurants, hairdressing, ateliers, call centers, supermarkets chains, cosmetic products sales, online sales companies etc.; in regard to the job positions of interviewed persons 7 of them were business administrators, one lawyer, 4 financiers / economists of the companies; 2 human resources specialists and in 1 case was interviewed the manager of the fasone factory. The businesses were operating in different cities of Albania such as Tirana, Vlora, Elbasan, Berat, Durrës, Fier, Korça, etc.
DATA ANALYSES AND FINDINGS
Data collected via in-depth interviews with representatives of Regional Employments offices/ business companies were transcribed, coded and then analyzed. The findings derived from the interviews were contextualized in the framework of the literature review and are presented in the following section of the paper.
www.ijsernet.org Page 131 orientation, mediation for employment and their success employment in the formal labor market. According to the perspectives of representatives of Regional Employment Directorates and representatives of business companies, victims of trafficking exploited for sexual purposes were more discriminated in the labor market and this discrimination was related to a number of factors such as: the conservative mentality of Albanian society, prejudicial tendency about this kind of trafficking in compared to others, lack of information, mismatching trafficking with prostitution, etc.
“I believe is very difficult their involvement in the labor market due to society mentality. Our society highly prejudges this target group of people.” (Regional Employment Office Fier, Service specialist, 10)
Meanwhile, according to them, the discrimination of victims in the labor market can be addressed by increasing the level of information of state institutions / business companies on the phenomenon of trafficking, anti-discrimination law, victims' rights etc. Direct meetings with representatives of business companies or awareness raising campaigns are considered as one of the most effective methods in this regard, working closely with businesses to be more acceptable. Awareness raising campaigns remain one of the most popular and effective tools to promote issues related to health and social change (Salmon & Atkin, 2003).
The study also showed that public institutions and business companies are uninformed about the phenomenon of trafficking and in those cases where their pretend the opposite, the information they have is superficial and incompatible with reality.
“I think that the information they have is superficial, gained through the media, reading but not something concrete, real for this group of persons.” (Regional Employment Office Tiranë, Sector responsible, 4)
“I don’t think the business companies have information for this target group of people and in general they are as well very insensitive.” (Atelier, Administrator, Berat, 8)
This lack of information is also reflected in how some of the business representatives see the victims of trafficking and what terminology they use to describe - "people with a dark past", "it’s her own decision to do that kind of life", "we don’t care about the private life of the person but I believe it would be disturbing for us and the rest of the collective having someone with the kind of past between us etc.
www.ijsernet.org Page 132 “The dissemination of information on this phenomeonon can be helpful in overcoming these challenges. I think people lack information and consequently have higher levels of discrimination." (Leather bags processing business, lawyer, Vlora, 2)
On the other hand, the study showed that business companies in Albania choose to recruit new staff by following formal and informal procedures, while the employment criteria were closely linked to the vacant position. In this context, several business companies admitted that they pursued differentiated employment procedures for vulnerable groups because of their categorization as more appropriate employees, easier to handle and work due to their low level of claims at the workplace and due to their specific conditions usually have a higher level of motivation to work.
“This category is more suitable. They are more appropriate employees and can easily fit with the working criteria since they don’t even have many claims as others.” (Paper industry, Business administrator, Korca, 4)
Meanwhile, when talking about victims of trafficking employment, the inhibitor factors raised up by representatives of the Regional Employment offices and business representatives are related to: "the possibility of problems emergence", "the former victims return to the risk", "they will create a perversion in the working environment ", " victims of trafficking equity with prostitutes", “the question is whether these people will be accepted by the other employees or if their behavior will be positive or negative ". In some cases, employers refuse to hire former victims of trafficking because they perceive them as unstable or inadequate workers and fear that they may adversely affect other employees.
There are unknown and unimaginable the long-term effects that trafficking and trauma associated with this kind of experience leave to the victims of trafficking.
The reactions of many trafficked persons to the trafficking experience are psychological and physiological responses or coping mechanisms that the person is often neither conscious nor under control. As a result of these experiences, in contacts with service providers, victims of trafficking show fear, insecurity, anxiety, distrust of others, low self-esteem, self- guilty, shame, anger toward oneself or others, memory disconnection, isolation, solitude, dependence, humility, or self-defense (Gjermeni et al., 2008).
Other barriers in finding and keeping a job placement were related to the long-term effects of trafficking and trauma. This is often manifested by the emergence of problem at workplace, including inadequate responses to supervisors, negative feedbacks when asked what to do, tense relationships with colleagues, high levels of anxiety that hinder performance at work (Surtees, 2012). Some employers are also afraid they may face traffickers if they hire a former victim of trafficking (Surtees, 2012).
www.ijsernet.org Page 133 and interests of the individual, with an appropriate length to acquire the professional skills, as well as in line with the labor market emerging demands.
CONCLUSION
The study found out that the leading role to encourage the business companies to support victims of trafficking involvement in the labor market goes to the respective strategies/ programs developed and implemented by state institutions, which should be followed by a dedicated budgeting to ensure their implementation properly.
Business companies require more facilitation by the state institutions to increase their role in supporting victims of trafficking involvement in the formal labor market in Albania through financial incentives, internship programs, easing fiscal policies, etc.
Victims of trafficking discrimination in the labor market should be addressed by increasing the level of information of state institucions/ business companies on trafficking phenomenon, anti – dsicrimination law, victims’ rights etc.
REFERENCES
Brunovskis, A. & Surtees, R. (2007) Leaving the past behind? When victims of trafficking decline assistance, Fafo Institute and Nexus Institute.
Brunovskis, A.& Surtees, R. (2008) “Agency or illness – Conceptualizing trafficking victims choices and behaviors”, Gender, Technology and Development.
Cresswell JW & Plano Clark VL. Designing and conducting mixed method research. 2nd Sage; Thousand Oaks, CA: 2011.
Clawson, H & N. Dutch (2008) Addressing the needs of victims of trafficking: challenges, barriers and promising practices. Washington: US Department of Health and Human Services.
Gjermeni, E, Taga, I, Tahsini, I & Meshi, M (2008) Service providers’ manual on victims of trafficking protection. Tirane, Gender Alliance for Development Center.
Meshi, M, Picari, B. & Pinderi, R (2009). Study on the social economic reintegration of victims of trafficking in Albania. Tirane, Organization “Different & Equal”.
Somach, S. & R. Surtees. (2005) Anti-Trafficking Programmes in Albania – an Evaluation. Tirana, Albania: USAID.
www.ijsernet.org Page 134 Surtees, R. (2008a) Re/integration of trafficked persons – handling “difficult” cases. Brussels:
KBF and Vienna: NEXUS Institute.
Surtees, R. 2008. Re/integration of trafficked persons: how can our work be more effective. NEXUS Institute.
Salmon CT, Atkin C. (2003) Using media campaigns for health promotion. In: Thompson TL, Dorsey AM, Miller KI, Parrott R, editors. Handbook of health communication. Erlbaum.
Ministry of Interior (2016) Action plan for social economic reintegration of girls and women victims of trafficking in persons.
Kaplan, E. H., J. C. Cassel, & S. Gore (1977) "Social support and health." Medical Care.
US Departament of State, Traffiking in Persons Report 2017. https://www.state.gov
UNODC Global Trafficking in Persons Report 2016. http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/2016_Global_Report_on_Trafficking_in_Persons.pdf
