VZCZCXRO2545
PP RUEHGR
DE RUEHWN #0125/01 0561938
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251938Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7149
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 BRIDGETOWN 000125 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, AND WHA/CAR 
STATE PASS TO USAID/LAC/CAR-RILEY 
 
TAGS: KCRM ELAB KFRD ASEC KWMN PHUM PREF SMIG BB
SUBJECT: TIP SUBMISSION - Barbados 
 
REF:  08 SECSTATE 132759 
 
¶1. (U) Below are Post's responses to questions regarding Barbados 
for the annual Trafficking in Persons Report. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Para 23 - THE COUNTRY'S TIP SITUATION 
------------------------------------- 
 
2 (SBU) 
 
¶A. What is (are) the source(s) of available 
information on trafficking in persons?  What plans are in 
place (if any) to undertake further documentation of 
human trafficking?  How reliable are these sources? 
 
There are few sources of information available on trafficking.  The 
Gender Affairs Bureau is the focal point for much of the information 
on trafficking, documenting cases as they become known.  The 
Business and Professional Women's Club of Barbados is an NGO 
partially funded by the Barbados government that covers trafficking 
issues and documents trafficking. 
 
¶B. Is the country a country of origin, transit, and/or 
destination for internationally trafficked men, women, or 
children?  Have there been any changes in the 
TIP situation since the last TIP Report (e.g. changes in 
destinations)? 
 
Barbados is a destination point for victims of Trafficking in 
Persons (TIP) from the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and Jamaica. 
There have not been any changes in the TIP situation since the last 
report. 
 
-- C. What kind of conditions are the victims trafficked 
into? 
 
According to newspaper reports and other sources, there are a few 
"entertainment clubs" that operate as brothels in Barbados, where 
women from Guyana and other Caribbean nations are prostituted.  In 
addition, there are private residences that operate as brothels. 
The conditions, according to sources, vary, but in most cases the 
women's travel documents are confiscated and they are threatened 
with deportation. 
 
-- D. Vulnerability to TIP: Are certain groups of persons 
more at risk of being trafficked (e.g. women and 
children, boys versus girls, certain ethnic groups, 
refugees, IDPs, etc.)? 
 
There are no reports of Barbadians being trafficked.  Legal and 
illegal immigrants from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Guyana 
are reported to be the most vulnerable to trafficking. 
 
-- E. Traffickers and Their Methods: Who are the 
traffickers/exploiters?  Are they independent business 
people?  Small or family-based crime groups?  Large 
international organized crime syndicates?  What methods 
are used to approach victims?  For example, are they 
offered lucrative jobs, sold by their families, or 
approached by friends of friends?  What methods are used 
to move the victims (e.g., are false documents being 
used?).  Are employment, travel, and tourism agencies or 
marriage brokers involved with or fronting for 
traffickers or crime groups to traffic individuals? 
 
 
According to Embassy sources, the traffickers are largely groups out 
of Guyana and Trinidad and Barbadian citizens acting as pimps and 
brothel owners. 
 
 
--------- -------------------------------------- -------- 
Para 24 - SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-TIP 
EFFORTS 
---------------- ------------------- -------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) 
 
¶A. Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is 
a problem in the country? 
 
Yes, the parliament has debated the issue several times and it is a 
priority for the government. 
 
-- B. Which government agencies are involved in anti- 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000125  002 OF 008 
 
 
trafficking efforts and which agency, if any, has the 
lead? 
 
A number of government agencies are involved in anti-trafficking 
efforts in Barbados.  These include the Immigration Department, the 
Customs and Excise Department, the Royal Barbados Police Force, the 
Labour Department, the Welfare Department, the Child Care Board and 
the Bureau of Gender Affairs. 
 
The Bureau of Gender Affairs is the lead agency in combating 
Trafficking in Persons.  This resulted from the Meeting of the 
Principle Delegates of the Inter-American Commission on Women (CIM) 
in October, 2002, when the Minister of Social Transformation of 
Barbados gave his commitment to lead the process to combat 
trafficking in persons and requested the Bureau of Gender Affairs to 
lead the process. 
 
-- C. What are the limitations on the government's 
ability to address this problem in practice?  For 
example, is funding for police or other institutions 
inadequate?  Is overall corruption a problem?  Does the 
government lack the resources to aid victims? 
 
The Government recognizes the nature of the problem; however, law 
enforcement and immigration officials do not yet have the 
appropriate training, funding, and other necessary mechanisms to 
monitor and investigate suspected cases of sexual and domestic 
servitude.  In most cases, vulnerable women without documentation 
are deported for immigration violations before there has been a 
thorough investigation of the case. 
 
 
-- D. To what extent does the government systematically 
monitor its anti-trafficking efforts (on all fronts -- 
prosecution, victim protection, and prevention) and 
periodically make available, publicly or privately and 
directly or through regional/international organizations, 
its assessments of these anti-trafficking efforts? 
 
The Royal Barbados Police Force, the Immigration Department and the 
Bureau of Gender Affairs are tasked with anti-trafficking monitoring 
and effort.  Although the Government of Barbados recognizes that 
trafficking is a problem internationally, its official response has 
been that there is no indication it is a problem specifically in 
Barbados. 
 
------------------------- ------------------------------ 
Para 25 - Investigations and Prosecutions of Traffickers 
------- --------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) 
 
-- A. Existing Laws against TIP: Does the country have a 
law or laws specifically prohibiting trafficking in 
persons -- both for sexual exploitation and labor?  If 
so, please specifically cite the name of the law(s) and 
its date of enactment and provide the exact language 
[actual copies preferable] of the TIP provisions.  Please 
provide a full inventory of trafficking laws, including 
non-criminal statutes that allow for civil penalties 
against alleged trafficking crimes (e.g., civil 
forfeiture laws and laws against illegal debt). Does the 
law(s) cover both internal and transnational forms of 
trafficking?  If not, under what other laws can 
traffickers be prosecuted?  For example, are there laws 
against slavery or the exploitation of prostitution by 
means of force, fraud, or coercion?  Are these other laws 
being used in trafficking cases? 
 
There are no laws against trafficking in persons.  Violators could 
be prosecuted under immigration, prostitution, or labor laws.  Under 
the Immigration and Passport Act, if an immigration officer suspects 
that a person is coming into the country to behave in the manner of 
a prostitute the officer has the authority to refuse entry. 
Normally, undocumented foreigners are deported immediately. 
 
-- B. Punishment of Sex Trafficking Offenses: What are 
the prescribed and imposed penalties for trafficking 
people for sexual exploitation? 
 
There are no specific laws against trafficking people for sexual 
exploitation. 
 
-- C. Punishment of Labor Trafficking Offenses: What are 
the prescribed and imposed penalties for trafficking for 
labor exploitation, such as forced or bonded labor?  If 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000125  003 OF 008 
 
 
your country is a source country for labor migrants, do 
the government's laws provide for criminal punishment -- 
i.e. jail time -- for labor recruiters who engage in 
recruitment of workers using knowingly fraudulent or 
deceptive offers with the purpose of subjecting workers 
to trafficking in the destination country?  If your 
country is a destination for labor migrants, are there 
laws punishing employers or labor agents who confiscate 
workers' passports or travel documents for the purpose of 
trafficking, switch contracts without the worker's 
consent as a means to keep the worker in a state of 
service, or withhold payment of salaries as means of 
keeping the worker in a state of service? 
 
Barbados does not have specific anti-trafficking legislation. 
However, there are several pieces of legislation which address 
conduct that may amount to the offence of trafficking in persons. 
Further, it should be noted that section 14 of the constitution of 
Barbados provides that no persons shall be held in slavery or 
servitude and no persons shall be required to perform forced labor. 
 
The Sexual Offences Act, Cap. 154 and the Offences Against the 
Person Act, Cap. 141 address conduct which may amount to trafficking 
in persons both for sexual and non-sexual purposes. 
 
Sections 33 and 34 of the Offences Against the Person Act speak to 
the crime of slavery.  However, sections 30 and 31 of the mentioned 
Act should be noted as they speak to the respective crimes of 
kidnapping, abduction and wrongfully concealing a person and such 
conduct may be used to facilitate slavery. 
 
Part I of the Sexual Offences Act, which makes provisions for what 
amounts to a sexual offence, should be noted as these offences may 
be similar to what amounts to an offence of trafficking in persons 
for sexual purposes or conduct that facilitates the offence of 
trafficking in persons for sexual purposes. 
 
The government does not currently have a national plan of action for 
trafficking in persons, but drafted a protocol for anti-TIP action, 
which the Bureau of Gender Affairs has shared with other government 
agencies. 
 
-- D. What are the prescribed penalties for rape or 
forcible sexual assault? 
 
The penalty for rape ranges from 10 years to life imprisonment. 
 
-- E. Law Enforcement Statistics: Did the government 
prosecute any cases against human trafficking offenders 
during the reporting period?  If so, provide numbers of 
investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentences 
imposed, including details on plea bargains and fines, if 
relevant and available.  Please note the number of 
convicted traffickers who received suspended sentences 
and the number who received only a fine as punishment. 
Please indicate which laws were used to investigate, 
prosecute, convict, and sentence traffickers.  Also, if 
possible, please disaggregate numbers of cases by type of 
TIP (labor vs. commercial sexual exploitation) and 
victims (children under 18 years of age vs. adults).  If 
in a labor source country, did the government criminally 
prosecute labor recruiters who recruit workers using 
knowingly fraudulent or deceptive offers or by imposing 
fees or commissions for the purpose of subjecting the 
worker to debt bondage?  Did the government in a labor 
destination country criminally prosecute employers or 
labor agents who confiscate workers' passports/travel 
documents for the purpose of trafficking, switch 
contracts or terms of employment without the worker's 
consent to keep workers in a state of service, use 
physical or sexual abuse or the threat of such abuse to 
keep workers in a state of service, or withhold payment 
of salaries as a means to keep workers in a state of 
service?  What were the actual punishments imposed on 
persons convicted of these offenses?  Are the traffickers 
serving the time sentenced?  If not, why not? 
 
There were no cases brought against traffickers during the reporting 
period.  Nor have there been any cases brought against employers for 
confiscating passports or travel documents. 
 
-- F. Does the government provide any specialized 
training for government officials in how to recognize, 
investigate, and prosecute instances of trafficking? 
Specify whether NGOs, international organizations, and/or 
the USG provide specialized training for host government 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000125  004 OF 008 
 
 
officials. 
 
Some government officials have been trained on the topic of 
trafficking writ large, but not specific to identifying, prosecuting 
traffickers, or protecting victims. 
 
--G. Does the government cooperate with other governments 
in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking 
cases?  If possible, provide the number of cooperative 
international investigations on trafficking during the 
reporting period. 
 
Barbados cooperates with other Caribbean countries via the Gender 
Affairs Unit at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana. 
 
In March, 2008, Regional Security Service (RSS) forces worked with 
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to dismantle a human trafficking 
ring destined for Barbados, which involved victims of human 
trafficking as young as 13 and 14 years old.  The government has 
also fully cooperated with international law enforcement to identify 
and track migration to and through Barbados.  However, immigration 
authorities are still in the beginning stages of identifying 
potential victims of human trafficking and those who traffic them. 
In addition, the government has provided human as well as limited 
material and financial resources - in cooperation with the United 
States - for the Advanced Passenger Information System, which checks 
the criminal backgrounds and migration history of individuals 
traveling to or through Barbados before they depart their countries 
of origin. 
 
-- H. Does the government extradite persons who are 
charged with trafficking in other countries?  If so, 
please provide the number of traffickers extradited 
during the reporting period, and the number of 
trafficking extraditions pending. In particular, please 
report on any pending or concluded extraditions of 
trafficking offenders to the United States. 
 
There have been no requests for extradition. 
 
 
-- I. Is there evidence of government involvement in or 
tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional 
level?  If so, please explain in detail. 
 
There is no evidence of government involvement in or tolerance of 
trafficking. 
 
-- J. If government officials are involved in 
trafficking, what steps has the government taken to end 
such participation?  Please indicate the number of 
government officials investigated and prosecuted for 
involvement in trafficking or trafficking-related 
corruption during the reporting period.  Have any been 
convicted?  What sentence(s) was imposed?  Please specify 
if officials received suspended sentences, or were given 
a fine, fired, or reassigned to another position within 
the government as punishment.  Please indicate the number 
of convicted officials that received suspended sentences 
or received only a fine as punishment. 
 
There have been no reports of government officials involved in 
trafficking. 
 
-- K. Is prostitution legalized or decriminalized? 
Specifically, are the activities of the prostitute 
criminalized?  Are the activities of the brothel 
owner/operator, clients, pimps, and enforcers 
criminalized?  Are these laws enforced?  If prostitution 
is legal and regulated, what is the legal minimum age for 
this activity?  Note that in countries with federalist 
systems, prostitution laws may be under state or local 
jurisdiction and may differ among jurisdictions. 
 
Prostitution is illegal in Barbados.  The Sexual Offences Act 
criminalises the act of prostitution.  Section 19 (1)(a) provides 
that a person who lives wholly or partially on the earnings of 
prostitution is guilty of an offence.  Section 19 (1)(b) provides 
that where a person in any place solicits for immoral purposes that 
person is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction 
to imprisonment for a term of five years or to a fine of $5000 or 
both. 
 
Section 18 of the Sexual Offenses Act establishes that where a 
person: a) keeps or manages or acts or assists in the management of 
a brothel; b) is a tenant, lessee, occupier or person in charge of 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000125  005 OF 008 
 
 
any premises, who knowingly permits the premises or any part of the 
premises to be used as a brothel or for the purposes of 
prostitution; or c) is a landlord or lessor or the agent of the 
landlord or lessor who lets any premises or part of the premises for 
the purposes of a brothel, that person is guilty of an offence and 
is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term of five 
years or to a fine of $5000 or both. 
 
-- M. If the country has an identified problem of child 
sex tourists coming to the country, what are the 
countries of origin for sex tourists?  How many foreign 
pedophiles did the government prosecute or 
deport/extradite to their country of origin?  If your 
host country's nationals are perpetrators of child sex 
tourism, do the country's child sexual abuse laws have 
extraterritorial coverage (similar to the U.S. PROTECT 
Act) to allow the prosecution of suspected sex tourists 
for crimes committed abroad?  If so, how many of the 
country's nationals were prosecuted and/or convicted 
during the reporting period under the extraterritorial 
provision(s) for traveling to other countries to engage 
in child sex tourism? 
 
There have been no reports of child sex tourism in Barbados. 
 
 
----------------------------------- ---------- 
Para 26 - Protection and Assistance to Victims 
------------ --------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) 
 
-- A.  What kind of protection is the government able 
under existing law to provide for victims and witnesses? 
Does it provide these protections in practice? 
 
The government of Barbados has no specific legal protections for 
victims of trafficking; however, existing programs to assist victims 
of other crimes could be used to support trafficking victims. 
 
-- B.  Does the country have victim care facilities 
(shelters or drop-in centers) which are accessible to 
trafficking victims?  Do foreign victims have the same 
access to care as domestic trafficking victims?  Where 
are child victims placed (e.g., in shelters, foster care, 
or juvenile justice detention centers)?  Does the country 
have specialized care for adults in addition to children? 
Does the country have specialized care for male victims 
as well as female?   Does the country have specialized 
facilities dedicated to helping victims of trafficking? 
Are these facilities operated by the government or by 
NGOs?  What is the funding source of these facilities? 
Please estimate the amount the government spent (in U.S. 
dollar equivalent) on these specialized facilities 
dedicated to helping trafficking victims during the 
reporting period. 
 
There are government sponsored shelters run by the Barbados Business 
and Professional Women's Club and the Salvation Army to house 
victims.  Total funding for the two facilities is approximately 
US$300,000 per year. 
 
-- C.  Does the government provide trafficking victims 
with access to legal, medical and psychological services? 
If so, please specify the kind of assistance provided. 
Does the government provide funding or other forms of 
support to foreign or domestic NGOs and/or international 
organizations for providing these services to trafficking 
victims?  Please explain and provide any funding amounts 
in U.S. dollar equivalent.  If assistance provided was 
in-kind, please specify exact assistance.  Please specify 
if funding for assistance comes from a federal budget or 
from regional or local governments. 
 
Victims are normally deported for immigration violations before any 
services can be provided or they can assist in prosecutions. 
Without anti-TIP legislation, the immigration department is legally 
bound to detain and deport. 
 
There is women's shelter operated by the Business and Professional 
Women's Club, which is partially supported by a government 
subvention.  Foreign nationals in need of social services have the 
same access to government-provided services as Barbadians. 
 
-- D. Does the government assist foreign trafficking 
victims, for example, by providing temporary to permanent 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000125  006 OF 008 
 
 
residency status, or other relief from deportation?  If 
so, please explain. 
 
No. 
 
-- E. Does the government provide longer-term shelter or 
housing benefits to victims or other resources to aid the 
victims in rebuilding their lives? 
 
No.  All victims are assisted in their repatriation to their home 
countries. 
 
-- F. Does the government have a referral process to 
transfer victims detained, arrested or placed in 
protective custody by law enforcement authorities to 
institutions that provide short- or long-term care 
(either government or NGO-run)? 
 
Any victims of trafficking identified by the government will be 
referred to the Bureau of Gender Affairs for support services. 
 
-- G. What is the total number of trafficking victims 
identified during the reporting period?  Of these, how 
many victims were referred to care facilities for 
assistance by law enforcement authorities during the 
reporting period?  By social services officials?  What is 
the number of victims assisted by government-funded 
assistance programs and those not funded by the 
government during the reporting period? 
 
There were no cases of trafficking reported during this reporting 
period. 
 
-- H. Do the government's law enforcement, immigration, 
and social services personnel have a formal system of 
proactively identifying victims of trafficking among 
high-risk persons with whom they come in contact (e.g., 
foreign persons arrested for prostitution or immigration 
violations)?  For countries with legalized prostitution, 
does the government have a mechanism for screening for 
trafficking victims among persons involved in the 
legal/regulated commercial sex trade? 
 
The Government of Barbados does not conduct screening for potential 
TIP victims. 
 
-- I. Are the rights of victims respected?  Are 
trafficking victims detained or jailed?   If so, for how 
long?  Are victims fined?  Are victims prosecuted for 
violations of other laws, such as those governing 
immigration or prostitution? 
 
Victims are treated with compassion and respect by the Bureau of 
Gender Affairs and affiliated NGOs, community advocates, and 
religious representatives.   However, they are treated as 
undocumented criminals by many in the police force and immigration. 
 
-- J. Does the government encourage victims to assist in 
the investigation and prosecution of trafficking?  How 
many victims assisted in the investigation and 
prosecution of traffickers during the reporting period? 
May victims file civil suits or seek legal action against 
traffickers?  Does anyone impede victim access to such 
legal redress?  If a victim is a material witness in a 
court case against a former employer, is the victim 
permitted to obtain other employment or to leave the 
country pending trial proceedings?  Are there means by 
which a victim may obtain restitution? 
 
Undocumented foreigners are generally treated as criminals and 
expeditiously deported.  If a victim is foreign, without the proper 
legal documentation, s/he would most likely be immediately 
deported. 
 
-- K. Does the government provide any specialized 
training for government officials in identifying 
trafficking victims and in the provision of assistance to 
trafficked victims, including the special needs of 
trafficked children?  Does the government provide 
training on protections and assistance to its embassies 
and consulates in foreign countries that are destination 
or transit countries?   What is the number of trafficking 
victims assisted by the host country's embassies or 
consulates abroad during the reporting period?  Please 
explain the type of assistance provided (travel 
documents, referrals to assistance, payment for 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000125  007 OF 008 
 
 
transportation home). 
 
The Bureau of Gender Affairs collaborated with the Business and 
Professional Women's Club of Barbados to sensitize government 
agencies on the differences between smuggling and trafficking, the 
importance of referral mechanisms and working with civil society 
groups, and the importance of implementing a trafficking specific 
protocol and legislation to better target their efforts. 
 
Barbados has very few Embassies world-wide and has not provided 
assistance through any of its embassies during the current reporting 
period. 
 
-- L. Does the government provide assistance, such as 
medical aid, shelter, or financial help, to its nationals 
who are repatriated as victims of trafficking? 
 
There have been no reported cases of Barbadians being trafficked. 
The Bureau of Gender Affairs has specialized services in place 
should a case arise. 
 
-- M. Which international organizations or NGOs, if any, 
work with trafficking victims?  What type of services do 
they provide?  What sort of cooperation do they receive 
from local authorities? 
 
Organizations that work with trafficking victims are the Caribbean 
Conference of Churches, Caribbean International HIV/AIDS Alliance, 
Population Services International, and the Red Cross.  UNHCR 
provides medical assistance and help with repatriation.  Cooperation 
from police and immigration needs improvement.  In addition, the 
Government of Barbados should provide increased funding to its 
Bureau of Gender Affairs for anti-trafficking efforts and should 
create a national action plan against trafficking in persons. 
 
-------------------- 
Para 27 - PREVENTION 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU): 
 
-- A. Did the government conduct anti-trafficking 
information or education campaigns during the reporting 
period?  If so, briefly describe the campaign(s), 
including their objectives and effectiveness.  Please 
provide the number of people reached by such awareness 
efforts, if available.  Do these campaigns target 
potential trafficking victims and/or the demand for 
trafficking (e.g. "clients" of prostitutes or 
beneficiaries of forced labor)?  (Note: This can be an 
especially noteworthy effort where prostitution is legal. 
End Note.) 
 
The government has provided education and awareness campaigns in the 
form of workshops and press releases. 
 
-- B. Does the government monitor immigration and 
emigration patterns for evidence of trafficking? 
 
Barbados is the headquarters and largest financial supporter of the 
Regional Security Service (RSS), a coalition of top-level police, 
customs, immigration, military, and Coast Guard representatives from 
across the Caribbean.  The Government of Barbados also provided some 
human and material resources to assist with the Advanced Passenger 
Information System (APIS), which runs background criminal history 
checks on travelers before they depart their countries of origin. 
Through this region-wide network, law enforcement agencies share 
information, which leads to investigations and detainment of 
suspected criminals once they arrive at immigration and customs. 
 
-- C. Is there a mechanism for coordination and 
communication between various agencies, internal, 
international, and multilateral on trafficking-related 
matters, such as a multi-agency working group or a task 
force? 
 
Various agencies coordinate and cooperate on illegal immigration 
issues as well as gender violence issues; however, there is no 
coordinated mechanism to address trafficking in persons. 
 
-- D. Does the government have a national plan of action 
to address trafficking in persons?  If the plan was 
developed during the reporting period, which agencies 
were involved in developing it?  Were NGOs consulted in 
the process?  What steps has the government taken to 
implement the action plan? 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000125  008 OF 008 
 
 
 
The government does not currently have a national plan of action for 
trafficking in persons, but drafted a protocol for anti-TIP action, 
which the Bureau of Gender Affairs has shared with other government 
agencies. 
 
-- E: What measures has the government taken during the 
reporting period to reduce the demand for commercial sex 
acts? 
 
Commercial sex is illegal in Barbados; however, prosecution of those 
involved in such activity has not been a priority due to funding and 
personnel shortages in the police forces.  There have been no 
government programs to reduce demand for commercial sex during the 
rating period. 
 
-- F. What measures has the government taken during the reporting 
period to reduce the participation in international child sex 
tourism by nationals of the country? 
 
 
There have been no reports of international child sex tourism. 
Neither the government nor local NGOs have any evidence that child 
sex tourism occurs in Barbados. 
 
The Bureau of Gender Affairs appears very concerned about TIP and 
works very well with regional and local NGOs, religious 
representatives and community advocates to better organize their 
efforts and outreach. 
 
HARDT