gisw13_chapters

Role of ICTs in the trafficking of women andgirls: In the cases analysed, the most notable roleplayed by ICTs is in the deception and recruitmentphases. The abductor managed to maintain quitelongstanding virtual relationships with his victims(with many of them at the same time), and the videochat might have played a key part in this, sinceimage and sound allow a deeper involvement andgenerate a greater sensation of familiarity and trustthan other tools.Every law has a loophole: There is significantdifficulty in identifying the modus operandi throughwhich young boys and girls are abducted using ICTs.Experts suspect that trafficking networks mighthave adapted their procedures after the modificationof Law 26.364 in 2012, working with the blindspot in the registration of cases. 25Lack of information and specialised mechanismsfor measurement: There are no specialised indicatorsthat allow us to understand the extent and the waysin which ICTs are being used to recruit victims.Women and girls’ online safety: Women andgirls inhabiting online spaces do not always havethe necessary tools to navigate these spaces safely,being exposed to many situations that could beharmful or violent. But even if this implies vulnerability,extreme protectionist approaches should beavoided in order not to endanger the privacy andcommunication rights of women and girls.Evidence building: Increasing the level of awarenessamong women and girls about the importanceof keeping track of evidence (and how to do this)will help them secure redress and will create awarenessfor others about these mechanisms.• There is a need to work on building women’scapacity when it comes to online safety and tobuild evidence regarding trafficking of womenas an extreme form of violence against women(VAW). It is particularly important to understandhow to proceed when a woman is going througha trafficking-related situation, especially involvingonline environments.• According to the 2012 annual report by the SpecialisedOffice for Investigation of Kidnappingand Trafficking in Persons (UFASE), informationdissemination and training targeting girls andboys in secondary school should be reinforced.And we add: This should be done in associationwith women’s rights organisations specialisedin human trafficking. 26• ICTs and women’s rights advocates should reviewhow existing national laws and internationalprotocols address trafficking and thetechnology related to VAW implicated in thecrime, so that they can define the gaps and proposealternatives.• There is a need to monitor the treatment of thesubject of trafficking in the mass media and denounce(creatively and engaging different sectors)cultural products that promote VAW.• Besides the government’s regulation of print advertisingfor the sex trade, mechanisms to warnagainst dangerous sites on the internet couldbe created, within a framework that is respectfulof the right to freedom of expression. ■Action steps• There is a huge need to achieve better knowledgeof trafficked women’s experiences and toidentify the role of ICTs in the process in moredepth. Special research should be developed toinvestigate the role that technology plays in thephase between the identification of the victimand the abduction.25 www.memoriaenmovimiento.gov.ar/images/Trata/cuadernillofinal.pdf26 www.mpf.gov.ar/docs/Links/Ufase/Informe_anual_2012_UFASE.pdf69 / Global Information Society Watch