• Recommended reading

Recommended reading on contributing factors

This study assesses the trends and responses to trafficking in Afghanistan. A combined approach of written survey forms, structured interviews, and a literature review are used to provide information on the issue.

The report also documents examples of many forms of trafficking, including the following:

• Exploitation of Prostitution (forced prostitution and prostitution of minors)
• Forced Labour
• Slavery and Practices similar to Slavery (abductions for forced marriage, marriage for debt relief, and exchange of women for dispute settlement)
• Servitude (sexual servitude and domestic servitude):
• Removal of Organs (no examples of this form of trafficking is given in this study).

The report also includes a range of "trafficking-related" trends. Though these incidents may not constitute "trafficking" as defined in the Trafficking Protocol, they still raise serious human rights concerns and share many causes and possible counter measures with more traditional trafficking practices. Although the bulk of information on trafficking received is internal and among Afghans in neighbouring countries, there have also been cases of cross-border trafficking - Afghanistan as a country of origin, transit, and destination. This report also explores the legal, social, economic, and security environment to establish how trafficking has taken root and to point to early recommendations for addressing the problem.

The study also highlights the fact that the role of women and girls as objects for dispute resolution, the power of local assemblies which often apply customary rather than constitutional or civil law, and the limited autonomy of women in marriage decisions, are additional factors that contribute to trafficking and make it difficult to combat.

The study makes the following recommendations:

• Legislation: Create a legal framework ranging from a constitutional prohibition on slavery to laws enforcing the various international agreements to which Afghanistan is a signatory to laws protecting women from the most extreme versions of customary justice.
• Coordination and dialogue: Coordinate both within the TISA and with regional partners to develop and implement a national action plan.
• Education and awareness: Manage education and outreach regarding trafficking in persons to target Government officials, traditional leaders and members of the community, paying special attention to decreasing the stigmatisation of victims.
• Push factors: Ensure that programmes to reduce economic insecurity, including training and education, micro-credit, and food security take into account trafficking risk factors in selecting beneficiaries.
• Security: Include trafficking issues in security sector reform programmes such as the Afghan New Beginnings Programme.
• Protection: Strengthen and sensitise the police and courts to address all forms of trafficking and sexual violence. Re-examine cases in which persons now held in jail may in fact be the victims of trafficking.
• Assistance: Work with traditional leaders to provide culturally appropriate support mechanisms for victims. Provide a mechanism to file complaints about past violations.