Red Light 2010 Campaign

Organisers say that, while initially focusing on the World Cup 2010 as an opportunity to highlight issues relating to trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children, the campaign will continue past the event to keep the issue of human trafficking on the regional agenda. The campaign aims to connect organisations already working on human, women, and children's rights, human trafficking, gender-based violence, and HIV and AIDS to realise a common purpose. Designed to be a call to action, the campaign challenges everyone to take a stand against trafficking by standing together and rejecting the exploitation and abuse of women and children. The campaign is also working to raise awareness about the international and regional commitments national governments have made in relation to human rights, with an emphasis on women's and children's rights. The campaign is also lobbying for national policies and legal frameworks that address human trafficking and their implementation.

The campaign involves popular mobilisation through community sports, information and communication technology, and community radio. It aims to take the campaign to where the people are, including schools so that young people are aware of the issues and their rights. Community football at village level, bulk SMS campaigns, and radio debates are some of the actions being used to educate and involve women, youth, and children.

Other strategies used by the campaign to raise awareness are alliance-building, coordination among different organisations, development of materials, and involving celebrities and high-profile supporters. The campaign includes a number of traffic watch teams - volunteer groups that work to mobilise communities and provide administrative, technical, and monitoring support to the campaign. The campaign is also seeking to mobilise media, who organisers believe are ideally placed to investigate and report on issues of human trafficking and women and girls vulnerability during the World Cup. In addition, Red Light 2010 is enlisting celebrities and public figures, including artists and sportspeople, to lend support to the campaign. The organisers say that the campaign is an attempt to generate demand for better governance from the people themselves.

The Red Light 2010 Campaign website contains details about campaign activities, as well as information about human trafficking, country profiles, and contacts for local organisations involved in the campaign, as well as links to resources related to human trafficking and women's and children's rights.

Human Trafficking, Gender, Children, Children's Rights, Women's Rights