full version - World Organisation Against Torture

RussiaIn February 2003, the State Duma proposed a draft law that would outlawtrafficking in persons and slavery. However, this legislation is still beingdeveloped and is not yet in force.Furthermore, lack of resources, widespread corruption, and lack of understandingof this crime among the police, mean that cases are rarely investigatedeffectively. Victims who are returned to Russia are reportedlyscared to press charges against the employment agencies who arrangedthe trafficking because of the power of organized crime in Russia and alack of faith in law enforcement institutions. 63There is a lack of shelters (with only 5 across the entire RussianFederation) and there are no support services for trafficking victims whohave been returned to Russia. The lack of shelters is a serious problembecause, when trafficking victims are deported back to Russia, they arefrequently sent to the “nearest point,” usually Moscow. With no supportservices, the victims are forces to continue working in prostitution inorder to have enough money to return home. Fortunately, an increase inthe number of shelters is foreseen over the next year. 644.3 Sexual HarassmentThere is no law specifically prohibiting sexual harassment in Russia.Sexual harassment of women in the workplace appears to be commonplace.One research project documented cases of sexual harassment insmall businesses, where many women work. The cases indicate thatwomen are often harassed but they rarely make complaints being resignedto “accepting the rules of the game.” The typical case involves managerswho propose relationship with female workers. 65 Another report indicatesthat when a woman is hired, she is told that her employment is conditionedon her willingness to subject herself to the proposals of her boss –this condition is implicitly stated in requests, for example, that she “go tothe sauna” with the boss and the clients. 66 Although these forms of sexualharassment are openly directed against women, women rarely complainfor fear of losing their jobs.313