Nuns to fight human trafficking at World Cup

This article is more than 12 months old

May 20, 2014 10:05 pm

An international association of Catholic nuns launched a public awareness campaign to combat human trafficking and prostitution during the World Cup in Brazil.

The nuns will use social media, billboards and rallies in host cities to draw attention to the heightened risk of exploitation of sex workers and job-seekers in general. "The World Cup is a unique occasion to invite everyone to reflect on the value of life,” Sister Gabriella Bottani said at a press conference in the Vatican.

Sister Bottani said her association, Talitha Kum – a Biblical phrase meaning “Little girl, get up!” – was also conducting training courses to spot signs of trafficking.

She said that for previous World Cups in Germany and South Africa, the level of “exploitation” had gone up by 30 per cent and 40 per cent respectively.

She said: “The majority of trafficked people in Brazil are young women from poor families with low education."

The campaign “aims to inform and raise awareness among the population on possible risks and how to intervene to report possible cases”, she added.