HONDURAS / 2019-2022

Populations better prepared to counter human trafficking

2021 marked the penultimate year of the IBCR's project to strengthen anti-human trafficking capabilities in Honduras. Launched in 2019, this project aims to bolster the capacities of institutions and civil society in Honduras to combat human trafficking. Another goal is to help at-risk populations learn how to prevent, identify, and respond to this crime more effectively.

This year, the fight against human trafficking was undermined by several legislative changes in Honduras, which led to reduced penalties for related crimes, such as sexual exploitation, procuring prostitution and irregular adoptions. The situation has made the IBCR's activities in Honduras all the more important, particularly as institutions redouble their efforts to prevent human trafficking, better support victims, identify cases and prosecute perpetrators of related crimes. At the same time, a strong push is being made to help vulnerable populations protect themselves from these crimes. The new go - vernment elected in January 2022 has renewed its commitment alongside the IBCR and continue the work.

The Project

To strengthen the country's response to human trafficking and reduce the vulnerability of certain populations, the IBCR's actions aim to:

• Strengthen key institutions involved in combating related crimes (the Inter-institutional Commission against Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking (CICESCT), the labour inspection sector, the judicial sector and the national police) to enable them to act more effectively.

• Strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations and communities, in particular women and children, indigenous, Afro-descendant and LGBTQI+ communities, to identify and prevent cases of trafficking and to support the victims.

• Forge stronger connections between institutions and civil society to promote broad and coordinated action across society

HOW?

J Improve the internal organisation of institutions and the competences of their staff in dealing with human trafficking through the development of training and the definition of procedures clarifying the actions, roles and responsibilities of each actor involved.

J Promote collaboration and coordination between the different sectors at national and regional level by creating spaces for exchange and defining clear procedures adapted to the needs of each institution.

J Provide members of civil society and vulnerable communities with the right tools and enabling them to develop the necessary competences to play a greater role of social monitoring against human trafficking.

The various target groups that we approached agreed to participate and […] share the knowledge they gained to help […] prevent human trafficking. [They] understand the importance of raising awareness about trafficking and showing that this crime exists and that the traffickers are among us.

- Director of UDIMUF (Unit for the integral development of women and the family)

The project was made possible thanks to support from the Government of Canada’s Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program (PARCLC)

// New this year // Institutions are better prepared to counter human trafficking

Clearer Roles

By defining procedures that clarify the roles and responsibilities of each actor involved:

• The institutions of labour inspection and justice are more efficient and able to pay better attention to victims of trafficking in persons.

• Collaboration and coordination between the different institutions involved in the prevention, support and protection of victims has been improved.

» 3 procedures were defined this year, two of which focused on the internal organisation of each institution, and one on collaboration between sectors

92 % of the professionals involved in the project said they now have the skills and apply the procedures required to combat human trafficking

In October 2021, a four-day regional congress was co-organised with CICESCT, and the in-person and online event drew more than 140 participants from nine Central American countries. Attendees shared their experiences, knowledge, and best practices for fighting human trafficking, protecting vulnerable groups and supporting victims. Since trafficking is often a transnational crime, having coordinated practices between countries in the region makes for a more effective response.

Reinforced Skills

Men and women preparing for jobs in the judicial sector, labour inspection sector or the CICESCT will receive better instruction on human trafficking thanks to newly created courses that will be added to the professional training programmes in each of these sectors.

» An agreement was signed with the Judiciary School of Honduras in June 2021

» 3 training courses were finalised in 2022 (one for each of the targeted sectors)

Several dozen professionals from each institution became certified instructors, ensuring that the course will continue to be offered and benefit a growing number of professionals over time.

97 % of those who took the course developed during the project said they came away with improved skills for preventing and combating human trafficking.

A STORY OF CHANGE: "OPERATION FREEDOM"

In September 2021, some of the labour inspectors who received training via the project participated in a sting operation at a commercial establishment in the country's capital city, where several human trafficking victims were identified. Thanks to the skills developed during the training workshops, the professionals were able to recognise the signs of human trafficking and to provide the victims with appropriate care.

"We're starting to apply what we learned in the workshops and while earning the certificates so that we can carry out workplace checks […]. Many things would not have been possible for us to do without the IBCR guidebook or [workshops]."

- Participant in the operation

Civil society and communities play a bigger part

People Are Now Better Equipped To Protect Themselves From Trafficking

Having a good understanding of human trafficking, its forms and the techniques for assisting and interviewing victims, has helped me provide better service to victims and feel better prepared to deal with the individuals who interact with inspection units.

- Certified instructor, labour inspection sector

The civil society organisations and vulnerable communities that were involved in the project, including children, are now more aware of human trafficking and better able to spot cases when it occurs. They also know how to respond and coordinate with authorities to provide support to victims.

» 21 training workshops were delivered this year to civil society and communities

» 8 audiovisual tools have been designed for the training courses and will be able to support the prevention and awareness-raising actions carried out by the partner organisations among the populations

» A cartoon on human trafficking was created for children

» 4 training tools were designed using an approach based on gender, child rights and ethnicity—a first in Honduras

97 % of the civil society members who took the training course said they gained a better understanding of how to prevent and combat human trafficking.

Our next step is to provide all transgender women with training on human trafficking.

[...] We have the knowledge, and now we need to empower each and every girl.

- President of the Rainbow Dolls collective

A Story Of Change

Through its own initiative, Red mujeres Indígenas,* one of the IBCR's partner organisations, mobilised 45 educational centres to work on human trafficking prevention using the tools developed by the project. As a result, the key messages were passed on to some 12,000 students and 250 teachers in eastern Honduras. This unprecedented scope illustrates how the project is succeeding in strengthening the efforts made by members of civil society to raise awareness about human trafficking, provide helpful information and protect vulnerable populations.

Increasing Influence And Participation

The project enabled participating organisations to gain a better appreciation of their role as a watchdog and why it's important for protecting the members of their communities. They also learned that they can influence the government institutions responsible for trafficking prevention, victim protection and support services.

Organisations are also increasingly willing to participate in the development of policies related to human trafficking. They are activating and/or reactivating mechanisms at the local and national levels to protect key segments of the population and support victims.

» Each organisation designed an action and prevention plan that provided for awareness-raising activities and advocacy with governmental bodies

African descent

» 8 videos were created, with input from civil society, to relate the reality experienced by certain populations and for use in institutional training courses

96 % of the participants from at-risk communities said the training helped them improve their social monitoring skills.

[…] I feel deeply committed to my Garifuna people to let them know what human trafficking is, that it exists and where to go for support.

Support For Community Initiatives

In order to strengthen the actions carried out as close as possible to vulnerable populations, the Bureau provided technical and financial support this year to two innovative projects implemented by partner organisations: the Centre for Women's Studies in Honduras (CEM-H) and the Unit for the Integral Development of Women and the Family (UDIMUF).

Community analysis, roundtables, training, plays, mobile applications, national campaigns... the actions carried out within the framework of these projects have taken various forms and have made it possible to raise awareness, inform and open dialogue on human trafficking among more than 2,000 people, including women, community leaders and people from the indigenous peoples of Honduras.

Through these initiatives, the project's partner organisations have appropriated the tools and training designed for them within the framework of the project in order to disseminate them more widely and in innovative ways to the communities they represent.

One of the project's main achievements was that it has empowered women in the targeted communities [...]. They generally believed that human trafficking is just an international issue and that it didn't affect their communities. […]

- UDIMUF member