Together with the Ople Center, AWO International is strengthening anti-trafficking measures in the Philippines. The joint project aims to ensure that migrant workers have the opportunity to choose safe migration routes and that their rights are protected throughout the migration process.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased the risk of Filipino domestic workers becoming victims of trafficking and other forms of abuse.
Despite pandemic-related travel and mobility restrictions, the number of reported trafficking cases was high. The Ople Center documented a total of 1,576 serious cases of exploitation of Filipino domestic workers in 2020 alone.
AWO International, together with the Regional Committee on Combating Trafficking in Persons and Violence against Women and Children, is combating human trafficking in the Bangsamoro region. This includes awareness campaigns and the launch of a digital portal for case management and reintegration support for former migrant workers.
OUR LOCAL PARTNER: Ople Center
The Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, or Ople Center, is a non-profit organisation that works on labour and migration issues and develops programmes to support Filipino expatriate workers and their families. The organisation is named after the former Philippine Secretary of Labour and Foreign Relations, Blas F. Ople.
Projectinfo
| Project | Protecting migrant workers from exploitation by strengthening social structures, building alliances, applying ethical standards and information technology. |
|---|---|
| Place/Region | Philippines with a special focus on the Autonomous Region of Bangsamoro for the Muslims of Mindanao (BARMM). |
| Partner | Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute |
| Target group | Filipino migrant workers (especially female domestic workers, minors or victims of trafficking and other forms of exploitation); prospective migrant workers; government; civil society; recruitment agencies |
| Activities |
|
| Duration | 1 September 2021 to 31 December 2023 |
| Budget | 74,000 EUR p.a. |
| Sponsor | BMZ |
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