Zonta Radio:Human Trafficking Report and a Call to Action

ZWCR commemorates International May Day 2011 by talking about labor, women's work and human trafficking. Human Trafficking involves the act of recruiting, transporting, transfering, harboring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them.

Zonta International identifies human trafficking as a global issue and has developed programs to increase awareness and advocate for legislation at local levels across its membership. At the 56th Zonta International Convention in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2002 , members adopted UN Protocol A/RES/55/25 and resolved to support the ratification of the resolution to eradicate trafficking in persons. Clubs across the globe work diligently to leverage support for legislation and take action in their communities.

On Zonta Women's Community Radio we speak on the air with Shelby French, Executive Director of the International Organization for Adolescents http://www.iofa.org/ in Chicago about their work creating Taskforces to eradicate trafficking on the local level. IOFA launches partnerships between law enforcement, community organizations, and social service agencies to combat human trafficking.

What can you do NOW? Support federal legislation like S. 596, the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2011 and ask your Senators to co-sponsor the legislation. Ask businesses to sign onto “the Code,” an agreement by businesses to increase the protection of children from sex tourism. Read more about this issue and the UN's Blueheart campaign http://www.unodc.org/blueheart/en/about-us.html, and Join Zonta to work on this important issue in your community.

Click Here for Zonta International Convention Highlights San Antonio 2010 and Women in the Arts with Judith Webber

Listen and share this episode of Zonta Women's Community Radio. Hear the voices of the Zonta International Conference as we air just a few of the interviews we snagged during the conference in San Antonio-Exclusive content brought to you only by Zonta Women's Community Radio! Roxanne Neilson field-recorded interviews on-site just days ago include:

• Beryl Sten, In the waning moments of her international presidency Ms. Sten candidly shares her thoughts on leadership.


• Diane Curtis tlaks about our radio project and, just before she takes the helm as Zonta International president, you can hear her enthusiasm about reaching the next generation of Zonta members.


• Zonta Club of Charles County Area 4 District 3's own Kim Rosenfield talks about a great fellowship project that her club did for their 58 members.


• Zonta Club of Dhaka II in District 25 Bangladeshi Sharuk Rhaman speaks with us on the floor of the convention about her club's service project to donate beds and supplies for burn units in her community. These facilities serve women who are survivors of "bride burning" a form of domestic violence.


• Zonta Club of Teme's in Ghana District 18's youthful President and engineer Yaa Boadi-Aboagye speaks about her interest in supporting women in "non-traditional" professions and the importance of mentoring women and girls in this area.

Judith Webber, http://www.judithweber.com/ ceramiscist and arts developer shares the radio studio with us and talks about her life's work in the arts and her work to develop work-live space for artists in her community.

Want more? Check back for more conference interviews soon! Send us a shout out bigtreesmallax@juno.com