Case Study

New Perspectives for Women

Irinas Story
Irina, a 23-year-old woman from a small village in northern Moldova, recently returned home from the United Arab Emirates, where she had been a victim of trafcking. In September, she came to the Balti Regional Support Center (RSC) accompanied by her mother, who had heard about the center and the variety of social and economic support services that it provides to young women at risk and former victims. The story Irina told was an all-too-familiar one of trafcking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. She had progressed through a typical cycle of trafcking, which began with her being deceived by her own boyfriend from her native village, continued with her being forced into prostitution in Portugal, and ended with her enslavement in one of Dubais major brothels. When Irina left her village she was only 19, and now, four years later, she has lived through one of the most horrible experiences imaginable.

September 2006

Irina did not have to pay in advance to get to Portugal. All of her expenses were covered by intermediaries and then subtracted from her future earnings. However, she was treated like a slave and her debt never fully repaid. Irina felt she had no choice she understood immediately that her survival demanded that she obey rather than protest. Ultimately, she was resold to a trafcker in the UAE, where her situation was further complicated by the birth of a child fathered by one of Irinas dedicated clients. Irina spent most of her time abroad in the Dubai brothel, before a local NGO nally assisted her to get out of the country and return home with her one-year-old son. When she visited the Balti Regional Support Center, the staff psychologist determined that Irina was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and needed immediate intervention. Irina was referred to the IOM Rehabilitation Centers Mother and Child Friendly Wing, where she is receiving in-depth rehabilitation assistance. This emergency rehabilitation assistance package includes accommodations and meals, comprehensive medical assistance, including STD/HIV testing, individual and group psychological therapy, legal assistance, and support in contemplating a professional career. An integral part of the package is support and assistance for her child. After her stay at the Rehabilitation Center, Irina will be prepared to make a conscious decision about her future and the future of her son. She plans to return to the Balti area and utilize the RSCs economic empowerment services, including vocational and skills courses, employment and entrepreneurship trainings, assistance in job placement, internship programs, and referral services to other resources and professional service-providers. Irina also intends to share her experiences with other young girls at risk of falling prey to false promises of work abroad, and has already volunteered to do so through an interview with NPWs Destinies and Destinations television program. It is hoped that hearing about the ordeal that Irina went through will help young Moldovan women to make safer choices and avoid her fate.

This document was made possible through support provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, under the terms of Grant No. 121-A-00-04-00009-00. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the author and do not necessarily reect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development.