MIGS received funding from the United States Embassy to implement a project entitled ‘Anti-Trafficking Capacity Building Program for NGOs’. The project was implemented in partnership with the Turkish Cypriot University Women’s Association and funded by United States Embassy in Cyprus. 

The aim of the project was to increase gender awareness and knowledge amongst NGOs in both parts of Cyprus in order to effectively combat trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The project’s activities included a bi-communal meeting with the aim to exchange knowledge, experiences and best practices on issues of trafficking in women and victim support and protection in the south and north of Cyprus; a seminar and training workshop on Combating Trafficking in Women in Cyprus, and the publication of awareness raising flyers. 

The b-communal meeting was held on 7 November 2007 at the Goethe Institute.  It was attended by NGOs involved are from the fields of human rights, women’s rights, domestic violence, family planning and equality.  The aim of the meeting was to exchange knowledge, best practices and experiences on the issue of trafficking in women and victim support and protection. During the meeting the issues discussed where pronominally in relation to the links that can be seen in the north and south of the island and the level at which we need to coordinate the work between the T/C and G/C organisations. It was evident that efforts in the past have not been very successful in creating bi-communal networks against trafficking. It was also highlighted that trafficking of women for sexual exploitation is directly related to gender inequality and that there must be a gender perspective in legal frameworks, policies and strategies in order to adequately address the problem.

The seminar and training workshop entitled “Combating Trafficking in Women in Cyprus” took place was organised on the 7th of December 2008 at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. Keynote speaker was Ms Irina Todorova, Protection/Direct Assistance Program Coordinator at the International Organization for Migration, IOM. The seminar was attended by over forty representatives from NGOs, government authorities and other interested parties. For more information on the seminar please click here.

As a final activity to this project MIGS in partnership with Prologue Consultancy Ltd. published awareness raising flyers on trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The main aim of this activity was to increase awareness and knowledge among potential buyers of sexual services on trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation, through the publication of flyers that will be disseminated in the north and south of Cyprus. View the flyers in all three languages through our website. The flyers have also been made available by various organizations and NGOs.  Please see below:

• Network of East-West Women [NEWW Polska], Newsletter. NEWW is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. You can view the announcement here.
• Women’s UN Report Program & Network (WUNRN), a non-governmental organization to implement the conclusions and recommendations of a United Nations Study on Freedom of Religion of Belief and the Status of Women from the Viewpoint of Religion and Traditions. View the announcement at here.
• Regional Child Protection Project, located in Budapest, Hungary. This project is implemented by Terre des Hommes – Child Relief, based in Lausanne, Switzerland. View the leaflets at click here.

For more information please contact info@medinstgenderstudies.org.