NASHI denounces prostitution at 2006 World Cup

May 30, 2006 -- NASHI estimates that there will be 4,000 illegally trafficked 18-25 year-old women from Ukraine among the millions of travellers to Germany for the 2006 World Cup (9 June - 9 July). These women, like many others from neighbouring countries in Eastern Europe, will be illegally smuggled to the world-class sporting event in order to provide sexual services for soccer fans. According to the UN report “Trafficking in Persons: Global Patterns,” released in April, Ukraine is one of the highest source countries from which women and girls are recruited for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Because prostitution is legal in Germany, the expected increase in demand for sex has critics such as the National Council of German Women’s Organizations fearing that brothels built for the World Cup event will also be used to house trafficked women as illegal prostitutes. Saskatoon-based organization NASHI is among the groups criticizing what it sees as the German government’s support of the sexual exploitation of women. Betti Lawrence, one of NASHI’s founders, asks “do officials know, or for that matter even care, where these 4,000 individuals will be coming from? And what happens to them at the end of the games? Discarded, penniless perhaps?”

Founded in 2004, NASHI is devoted to diverting Ukrainian young people from human trafficking and prostitution, by providing awareness education and training for alternative means of support. Their website can be visited at www.nashi.ca.

For links relating to trafficking, please visit the United Nations at http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/trafficking_persons_report_2006-04.html. Another good site is http://www.catwinternational.org/.

Please take the time to be proactive; concerned individuals may sign the petition “Buying Sex is Not a Sport: No To Germany’s Prostitution of Women During the World Cup Games 2006” which can be found at http://catwepetition.ouvaton.org/php/index.php.

Saskatoon, SK May 26, 2006