Human Trafficking In Dominican Republic

Different regions and countries experience dynamic challenges that are caused by dissimilar conditions that either touches on the economic, political or social aspects. Human beings more often try to invent ways that they address different challenges and opportunities presented in life. It results in both positive and negative impacts in the short and long-term periods. International institutions and organizations also have tried to come up with measures that countries and regions facing dynamic challenges can adapt to change and improve the situation. For example, they have developed millennium development goals that guide countries on the targets and goals that they need to realize at a specific given time. They intend to help address different challenges that humanity faces such as healthcare, illiteracy, unemployment, environmental degradation and conflicts among others. Therefore, conducting a ‘deep dive’ in such challenges either at a national or regional level is encouraged to produce an in-depth analysis of the variables that contribute to such situations. However, this paper presents an analysis of human trafficking challenges in the Dominican Republic with contributing factors and impacts. 

Part I. 

A Clear Topical Focus 

Human trafficking occurs in many areas around the globe and the Dominican Republic is no exemption. However, the level of human trafficking in the Dominican Republic has been rampant and that has made the International Organization for Migration (IOM) rank it among the top countries that the practice the vice internationally. The Dominican Republic has not only acted as a source of human traffic, but also as a transit and destination for human trafficking victims. Men, women as well as children have been trafficked to provide forced or slave labor in the country and region and also for commercial sexual exploitation (Cabezas, 2009). The high level of poverty has contributed to enhancing of the trade not only in Dominican country, but also the neighboring countries such as Haiti that equally share almost the same level of poverty and economic challenges among its people. Internally, the trafficking issue continues where boys, girls and women are trafficked within the country’s borders for sex exploitation and forced prostitution as well as domestic servitude. In some cases, parents encourage their kids into prostitution so as to help and support the families. The trade has so much developed and formed a strong network regionally and internationally where most of the trafficked Dominican women across their national borders head to South American countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Jamaica, Australia among other destinations for sexual exploitation. 

Description of Why the Issue Matters 

Human trafficking issue matters not only on what is happening in the Dominican Republic but also other parts of the world. The issue is a concern because of the minors involved in the trade that include young boys and girls that are introduced to prostitution and domestic servitude depriving them the opportunity to acquire the basic needs of life such as education as well as help them achieve their full potential in life. Furthermore, it is important to note the risks and challenges related to human trafficking that include diseases such as HIV/AIDS, especially in situations where the trafficked people are exploited sexually and compelled to join prostitution within their countries or in other countries outside their borders. The world has a responsibility to protect children from such exploitation and abuse and the cartels involved in such acts benefit more than the people they use further worsening the situation. The rights of those trafficked are violated that goes against the international norms and statutes that guide humanity as indicated in international statutes such as that of the United Nations. People and organizations at both local and international levels, thus, have to care to perform their responsibility and duty to protect the children and the most vulnerable in society as well as enhance human rights activism. 

The connection of the Issue to an SDG, Target, and Indicator. 

The human trafficking issue cuts across a number of sustainable development goals as indicated in the United Nations resolution. The issue touches on the goal of ending poverty, promotion of good health and wellbeing, decent employment and economic growth and finally the goal focusing on peace, justice and strong institutions. The SDG 5 that addresses gender equality targets to help in reducing human trafficking by empowering women in opportunities of employment and other resources that can help them get empowered so that the extreme levels of poverty experienced among the women not only in the Dominican Republic but also in other parts of the world can be reduced and, therefore, directly and indirectly, contribute to the reduction of the problem of human trafficking. SDG 8 also encourages organizations and countries to provide decent work and economic growth opportunities for its people and, consequently, when the Dominican society and others in the world can implement such expectations, it would reduce drastically the challenge of human trafficking that often happens in places with no decency but exploitation and abuse of women, children and boys and men in unhealthy conditions in the world. Finally, the human trafficking issue also touches on the SDG 16, where victims of trafficking are abused contravening human rights clauses (Obokata, 2006). In most cases, they are forced to participate in the trade with threats to their lives and suppression of their freedom due to the injustices that they are subjected to in the course of the trade by the agents involved. The human traffic issue contravenes the target 8.7 in the SDG goals that responsible governments and organizations have to "take immediate actions and effective measures that eradicate forced labor, end modern-day slavery and human trafficking and ensure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labor in all its forms." 

Description of Policies or Influential Agendas That Address This Issue 

The concern of human trafficking has dominated government agencies debates and strategies formulated to help curb the vice. It has become a worry at the present times because of the threats related to human trafficking that has shifted the dynamism considering the present times that issues such as terrorism have increased global threats and insecurity. Most of the strategies formulated have been multifaceted where departments and organizations such as that of defense, justice, state, population services and health all have formed a team and an inclusive approach used to combat the challenge. The health care providers in most instances have been allowed to offer medical and health care services to victims of human trafficking unconditionally as they acknowledge they get exposed to many unhealthy conditions in the world (Unicef, 2017). They encourage ensuring that the victims are immunized and encouraged to take preventive medicine and health actions that can reduce the spread of diseases and bring health challenges as they cross borders in unhealthy and difficult conditions to and from different destinations. The healthcare workers have worked closely with other partners and stakeholders involved at both local and international levels involved in addressing the challenge of human trafficking objectively. 

Description of Any Cultural, Political, Historical or Other Considerations That Continue To Impact the Issue and How It Is Addressed 

Human trafficking in the Dominican Republic has been propelled by the culture developed in the area over many years that has encouraged commercial sex exploitation. The high levels of poverty in the area have made efforts instituted at both the local and international levels become ineffective and fail to achieve its targeted objectives. Some families, for instance, have encouraged their children to participate in prostitution as an option to help and support the families. Such cultural habits and attitudes make it difficult for the stakeholders involved to address the issue objectively. Moreover, rampant corruption and poverty have made legislative laws easily ignored and not reinforced. By addressing the issue of poverty in the Dominican Republic and the entire region would play an important role in reducing the human trafficking issue as it will provide those involved with other opportunities and empower the populations that are driven into human trafficking because of poverty. 

Part 2: 

Description of Past and/or Present Efforts Aimed At Addressing the Issue 

The human trafficking menace has compelled organizations to institute measures and try to address the issue objectively. The approaches taken in the past and present is multifaceted where the country has employed a variety of strategies to help reduce the problem. The Dominican government developed a national anti-trafficking plan to help it layout strategies to use in addressing the issue. Moreover, with coordination and partnerships from the NGOs world, they both launched child awareness campaigns in the society that prevented child exploitation that include sex trafficking. The government, in addition, established a hotline that people with relevant information concerning human trafficking could reach the law enforcement agencies and responsible teams concerned with the subject (Department of State, 2017). Finally, the government offered training of personnel concerned with anti-trafficking tasks on the best approaches and techniques that can help them provide effective services in combating the trafficking problem. 

The action instituted aimed at addressing the issue has resulted in less progress. According to a UNICEF report that conducted several studies in the Dominican and Haiti Republics, child trafficking is still rampant with less progress contributed by a set of factors such as cultural, political, legal and socio-economic as well as border authorities complicit with the traffickers (Unicef, 2017). The slow progress has compelled development partners in the Dominican Republic such as the United States through its embassy to institute measures and corporation with the Dominican Republic that help it address the challenge objectively as it is also concerned with the problem. 

A Proposal to Address the Problem If I Have One Million to Spend. 

The proposal for the one million dollars to be spent in addressing the human trafficking issue in the Dominican Republic would institute several measures and approaches to help the problem objectively. First, it would support the education and advocacy approaches in the community that would empower the population with information about the dangers and risks that engaging in human trafficking pose and in particular how it abuses the rights of children and human rights at large. Such programs would target to empower the masses and help them make informed decisions. Secondly, since the main driving force that leads people on the Dominican Republic is poverty-related, compelling young girls and women to engage in sex trafficking at both the local and international level, I would support the economic programs that intended to empower the women to start small businesses and alternative ways to earn such as farming among others as an alternative source of income. Finally, the proposal shall also consider the training of community groups that would help work with the local agencies to try and address the human trafficking problem objectively by getting skills in the detection, prevention, prosecution and protection. 

In conclusion, the human trafficking challenge in the Dominican Republic is a replica of what transpires in many countries and regions. All stakeholders must come together to help address the concern objectively. Cooperation between and among different stakeholders in the international system would prove relevant in addressing the concern that also poses health risks and threats. Research is encouraged to determine the possible cause of the increased and continuation of the human trafficking despite the enormous efforts instituted by stakeholders to address the concern at the local, national and global level. 

References 

Cabezas, A. L. (2009). Economies of desire: Sex and tourism in Cuba and the Dominican Republic . Philadelphia, PA: Temple Univ. Press. 

Department of State (DoS). (2017). Dominican Republic. Office to Monitor And Combat Trafficking In Persons. 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report. Tier 2. Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2017/271179.htm 

Obokata, T. (2006). Trafficking of human beings from a human rights perspective: Towards a more holistic approach. Leiden: Nijhoff. 

Unicef. Org. (2017). Dominican Republic. Human Trafficking. Child Protection . Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/republicadominicana/english/protection_12467.html 

Appendices 

A model for your proposed approach 

A table that addresses budgetary items that may be needed.