SENATE RESOLUTION

                             8649

By Senators Costa, Roach, Regala, Rasmussen, Kohl-Welles and Spanel

     WHEREAS,  It is the tradition of the Washington State Senate to recognize the outstanding and much-needed efforts of individuals, groups and organizations that work to protect human rights; and

     WHEREAS, March is National Women=s History Month, during which sexual trafficking is recognized as a serious issue for women and human rights advocates around the world; and

     WHEREAS, Sexual trafficking is defined as the purchase, sale, recruitment, harboring transportation, transfer or receipt of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act; and

     WHEREAS, Most Americans are unaware that millions of young women and children are trafficked every year into the international sex trade; and

     WHEREAS, The UNICEF organization has donated a great deal of time, energy and resources for implementing prevention, protection and rescue efforts of sexual trafficking victims who are often taken to cities or remote areas where their captors take away passports, visas, and identification and control them through threats, abuse and terror; and

     WHEREAS, Oprah Winfrey dedicated an entire television show to recognize former President Bill Clinton=s signing of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act 2000 and the brutal effects of sexual trafficking, since an estimated 45,000-50,000 women and children are trafficked annually to the United States and that sexual trafficking is organized crime=s third largest source of money-surpassed only by drugs and guns-generating $8 billion a year; and

      WHEREAS, The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, in conjunction with the International Human Rights Network, has led and won a decisive battle to influence a strong and inclusive definition of trafficking that is at the core of a new United Nations= Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children; and

     WHEREAS, The organization End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism has fought hard to stop advertising for and easy access to foreign sex tour since several countries do not acknowledge sexual trafficking as anything more than a legitimate barter of commodities; and

     WHEREAS, Concerned Women for America has worked to raise awareness by supporting legislation to enforce the punishment of traffickers and protect the rights of victims; and

     WHEREAS, The Miramed Institute works with girls in rural areas and small villages who are at risk of being kidnaped and trafficked and tries to protect girls from suffering intolerable brutalization as workers in sex tourism destinations and brothels around the world; and

     WHEREAS, Women=s World magazine has designated an ongoing trafficking resource guide so readers can get information on trafficking, verify legitimate businesses, offer help to girls returning to their countries of origin after escaping, and have information about jobs to be cautious of such as child-care providers, restaurant workers, and maid which are often traps; and

     WHEREAS, The Center for Women Policy Studies recommends that efforts to address sexual trafficking focus on criminalizing the activities of traffickers rather than the women and girls who are their victims, many countries deal with prostitutes as criminals and put them in jail as an attempt to control AIDS and STD=s regardless if the girls were kidnaped or forced to be sex slaves; and

     WHEREAS, The Center for Women Policy Studies also works to bring awareness to the fact that many victims of sexual trafficking are taken across foreign borders where they do not speak the language, and the victims fear arrest, imprisonment and deportation to their home country B where they likely will be ostracized or punished because of their sexual exploitation; and

     WHEREAS, The Sanlaap organization has established shelters to protect, rehabilitate, counsel and reintegrate victims into society; and

     NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate does hereby recognize and commend the honorable efforts of those organizations that work to put a stop to the sexual trafficking and exploitation of women and children throughout the world; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted immediately from the Secretary of the Senate to The National Women=s History Project, UNICEF, Oprah Winfrey, The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, The International Human Rights Network, End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism, Concerned Women of America, The Center for Women Policy Studies, Miramed Institute, Women=s World magazine and Sanlaap.

I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8649,

adopted by the Senate March 28, 2001.

TONY M. COOK

Secretary of the Senate