General Assembly WOM/1875 - Ministry of Social and Family ...

Delegation’s ResponsesMs. YACOB agreed with the gravity of the trafficking situation and the need tocontinually step up efforts on vigilance and legal measures. She said that the lawallowed targeting both domestic and overseas traffickers. While the country was not aparty to the Palermo Protocol, the language of that instrument had been adopted inaddressing the issue. In addition, the claims of those who said they were victims oftrafficking were taken seriously. There was a template for law enforcement officers toelicit information to determine whether or not a person was a victim, and they weretrained to deal with trauma. Resources were available to deal with foreign-languagevictims. There were clear guidelines on investigating trafficking claims.Victims, she said, were provided shelter, and the sufficiency of the three existingshelters was constantly reviewed. At present, the facilities were only 80 per cent full. Therewere also networking systems to ensure that victims’ needs were met. Foreign embassieshad been contacted to ensure that information on victims was passed on to the lawenforcementauthorities, but often there was no follow-up. That area had to bestrengthened. The approach to trafficking was proactive. More than 40 per cent ofinvestigated cases arose from that proactive approach. The task force coordinated allrelated initiatives and worked with the international inter-agency task force, and had workedwith the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). A forthcoming nationalplan of action would augment those initiatives with awareness-raising programmes.Specific to public education campaigns, a delegate said that Singapore, alongwith other member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), waspart of an initiative of the organization Child Wise on child sex tourism. Diligent borderchecks served to interrupt the supply of victims, and perpetrators were subjected totough penalties. All suspected sex workers were questioned in several languages, andthose identified as victims were treated as victims. In 2010 alone, she said, 24 childsex tourism perpetrators had been arrested.On the rights of foreign domestic workers, a delegate from the Ministry of Manpowersaid that Singapore engaged in the regular review of legislation, enforcement and outreachmeasures. There was extensive coverage of the rights of those workers. All employerswere responsible for adequate conditions, health, housing and the personal well-being oftheir foreign employees, and those who did not comply could be prosecuted and punished.The new employment agencies act had been enacted specifically to make sure thatemployment agents could not charge exorbitant rates, she continued. While Singapore’sstrong regulatory framework had drawn many foreign domestic workers, a survey had shownthat most were happy. Seven out of ten surveyed said that they intended to stay inSingapore beyond the length of their current contract, and almost 90 per cent were aware oftheir employment rights.Regulating domestic work was difficult, she said, and would require furtherreview and consultation with stakeholders. Singapore was reviewing the sufficiencyof its current provisions, including penalties for those violating the rights of domesticworkers.On the portrayal of women in the media, a delegate from the Ministry of Health saidthat a multipronged approach was in place. Self-esteem and positive body images wereused in schools, as were emotion management programmes and other supportive services.Medical practitioners that did not follow national laws on aesthetic practices were liable topenalties, she added. They were also subject to publicity regulations, requiring that ads be