NEWS AND VIEWS: Panelists discuss trafficking of women (02/04/01)

NEWS AND VIEWS

Panelists discuss trafficking of women

by Walter Bodnar

WHIPPANY, N.J. - The subject of "Trafficking of Women," included in a recently passed bill in the U.S. Congress, was the topic of a recent discussion at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church Hall in Whippany, N.J., where Walter Zalisko, a covert operations police officer and a member of the Governor's Ethnic Advisory Council in New Jersey, related his experiences in tracing traffickers of women and children.

He was introduced by Bozhena Olshaniwsky, president of Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine (AHRU), who reviewed the contents of HR 3244 and how it impacts on Ukrainian women.

Ms. Olshaniwsky talked mostly about congressional involvement with the issue. She explained that on October 11, 2000, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly, by a vote of 95-0, approved the bill, which makes it a crime to bring women and children into the United States for the purpose of using them as victims in such areas as prostitution, sweatshops, debt bondage and other forced circumstances. The sum of $95 million was provided over a two-year period by the U.S. government to halt the international trafficking and for issuance of special U.S. visas to those victims.

In addition, the law also renews programs in the United States for protection of "battered women" and proposes spending $3.3 million during the next five years on a variety of grant programs designed to address domestic violence and other crimes directed largely against women.

According to CIA reports approximately 50,000 people are smuggled into this country each year - a large number of them women from Ukraine. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) noted that 700,000 women and children are transported annually across borders for the purpose of forced prostitution throughout the world. This international smuggling nets $7 billion in profits per year - exceeded only by profits in international drug and arms trade. The new law provides for up to 20 years' imprisonment for selling someone into slavery and for similar crimes.

The law also provides for creating a new, non-immigrant T-visa for up to 5,000 victims of trafficking per year. In order to be eligible for the visa, victims have to initially cooperate with investigations and then prove how they would suffer extreme hardship if sent back to their native countries. Several years after receiving T-visas certain victims might qualify for permanent residency and U.S. citizenship. The law in some circumstances, would also require the president to withhold U.S. non-humanitarian foreign aid, starting with the year 2003, to any country condoning human trafficking.

Prior to being adopted in the Senate, the bill was adopted in the House of Representatives on October 6, 2000, by a 371-1 vote. Ms. Olshaniwsky noted that steep economic decline and unemployment in post-Soviet Ukraine force many Ukrainian women to seek employment abroad, thus causing them to fall victim to the vultures of international trafficking. At first such women were transported to Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Israel, and later to the Balkans, Western Europe and the United States.

Serious discussions on this subject were broached by President Bill Clinton. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke on the subject during the Beijing Women's Conference in 1995 and during her visit to Lviv in 1997. She underlined that "women's rights are human rights." Melanne Verveer, chief of staff to the first lady, also spoke in Ukraine on this subject in June 2000 during President Clinton's visit. The United Nations adopted resolution on this subject, which was supported by the World Federation of Ukrainian Women's Organizations. In addition, the La Strada agency and similar groups were formed in Ukraine to help women in distress and to prevent their victimization.

Ms. Olshaniwsky reminded the audience that in 1998 and 1999 several bills concerning the trafficking problem were introduced in the U.S. Congress by Reps. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) and Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), but did not get adequate support at that time.

The bills were supported by the New Jersey Regional Council of the UNWLA, AHRU and the Women's Clubs of America. Hundreds of letters were written and sent to members of both houses of the U.S. Congress by the UNWLA and AHRU. Largely through the efforts of the New Jersey UNWLA, the subject of trafficking of women was put on the agenda of the Women's Clubs of America at its New Jersey state and national conventions.

Ms. Olshaniwsky introduced Walter Zalisko, listing his accomplishments and awards in the field of police work, including medals for bravery, 23 years of service, founding of an international consultation management firm, expertise on crime in Russia, testimony in Congress on the situation in Russia, and service on the Governor's Ethnic Advisory Council in New Jersey.

He related in detail his personal participation in investigating and uncovering the underground practice of modern white slavery - especially in New York and New Jersey. He spoke of an extensive and well-developed network of pimps and criminals who supply dancers to go-go bars and "sex clubs" in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn and in such New Jersey cities such as Newark, Linden and Atlantic City.

New Jersey has about 300 such go-go bars, the most of all the 50 states. In addition to alcoholic bars where some sort of attire is required - no matter how scant - there are "juice bars" where women have no such restrictions and perform au naturel. In one such bar visited, out of 18 women performers 14 were from Ukraine, Mr. Zalisko noted.

Mr. Zalisko continued by relating his experience when he entered such a bar posing as a customer. He would observe, record and photograph such situations for evidence and would try to strike up a conversation with the women, although most of the women were reluctant to talk. Quite a few women are in their teens (13 to 17), he said. These women are generally kept under lock and key in apartments in the Brighton Beach area and are transported in vans to and from their places of "business" every day. The women are threatened, blackmailed, shortchanged, beaten and even killed if they do not conform.

Despite the dangers and the degradation these women suffer, Mr. Zalisko said it is difficult convince them to run away from this kind of life. He stressed that the best way to help the women is to prevent them from leaving Ukraine in the first place because it is almost impossible to help them once they are hooked.

The numerous agencies with legitimate-looking facades that have sprung up in Ukraine like mushrooms after a downpour to encourage women to register with them for employment abroad. They purport to be travel agencies, purveyors of well-paying jobs, recruiters for college positions, etc. Laws have been adopted in Ukraine to put these agencies out of business, but as soon as one is closed another springs up, Mr. Zalisko explained.

The most important cause of this tragedy in Ukraine and other Eastern European countries is a severe lack of job opportunities and poverty among women. In addition, there is corruption among government officials, police, embassy and consulate employees, customs officers on borders, train conductors and bus drivers. Collectively they aid and abet the international trafficking of women and children because of the lucrative profits.

In addition to his work in the United States, Mr. Zalisko travels to Ukraine and other countries. He meets with police units and government officials whose job it is to uncover and fight the trafficking of women. He explained that in numerous instances the police in Ukraine work hand-in-hand with the criminals because their salaries are meager when compared with the benefits they derive from the traffickers. In addition, the governmental agencies assigned to fighting this crime do not consider it to be a serious problem.

The international trade in prospective brides is another type of shady business under control of the criminal element, Mr. Zalisko continued. The money comes from would-be husbands who are required to pay for pictures, magazines, addresses, trips abroad, personal introductions, inspections, etc. Again, the criminal element makes bigmoney and the prospective brides often find themselves in unbearable situations.

The "Dollar for Ukraine" organization sponsored the afternoon program on held on Sunday, November 12, 2000; Yaroslava Mulyk acted as mistress of ceremonies.

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