Nadia Murad, a Yazidi who escaped the Islamic State and a co-recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, walks out after her meting with French president Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018. TANZANIA, TANZANIA -- Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad said the coronavirus pandemic has increased trafficking of women and gender-based violence, leaving the health and safety of women "on the line.
"The few resources designated for prevention, rescue and rehabilitation are being stretched thin," she said. "As a result, women's health and safety are on the line. It is now difficult for many women to access psychological support health care." Murad, a UNODC goodwill ambassador for trafficking survivors, noted that Monday was International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, and expressed hope that the spotlight would "amplify the urgent need to combat gender-based violence and human trafficking."
"During pandemic lockdowns, two-thirds of anti-trafficking workers reported seeing an increase in online recruitment by traffickers for the purpose of sexual exploitation online," Mlambo-Ngcuka said. Actress and activist Ashley Judd, a UN Population Fund goodwill ambassador, criticized "the toxic masculinity" taught to men and boys who attack and sexually exploit women.
Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)