New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) As Delhi prepares to host the Commonwealth Games next year, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) will highlight the human trafficking problem plaguing India and its eastern neighbours by launching an awareness drive.
“With the Games coming up, we have an opportunity to spotlight the human traficking problem that is on a rise. In South Asia we are especially concerned of trafficking networks in India’s eastern borders. We think that awareness can be raised and we need to do something before, during and after the Games,” UNIFEM regional programme director Anne Stenhammer told IANS here Thursday.

Promising that the UNIFEM would lend support for an event like this, Stenhammer who has had an opportunity in working on women and child trafficking issues at sporting events abroad, shared her hopes to rope in cricketers, other sports personalities and even Bollywood stars as endorsers for the campaign saying that “they make an impact on the target young men and women”.

She also said that the UN body was finalising the ’safe city initiative’ and Delhi will be the pilot city.

UNIFEM called for proposals for this initiative three weeks ago and officials hope to finalise details soon. The initiative will be launched in Thiruvanathapuram too.