Australia’s first multi-language anti-trafficking radio awareness project was launched yesterday in a bid to create awareness about the risk of sexual and labour exploitation in Australia.
The Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH) launched the Radio
Awareness Project The RAP, to mark International Women’s Day. The project works with local
ethnic radio programs to broadcast community service announcements, in specific languages, to
create awareness within local communities most at risk of exploitation.
March 8th 2013 is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate women and their contribution to
our local and global community. Yet at a time of due celebration there are women, in our own local
Victorian communities, who are trapped in circumstances of exploitation including forced labour,
domestic slavery and sexual slavery.
The former Attorney General, the Hon Nicola Roxon MP, in an Australian Government response to
People Trafficking , stated: ?Australia is not immune from this insidious form of modern day
slavery. As a gross violation of human rights, it is incumbent on us as government, and the wider
community, to do all we can to stamp people trafficking out.’
?We have been working closely with local and regional communities to identify ways to reach out to
women who are isolated by where they live and by cultural and language barriers. Local ethnic
community radio is a positive and immediate way to reach into homes and communicate about
human trafficking with many women, and men, in the community,’ said Christine Carolan from
ACRATH. With the help of local volunteers The RAP has produced community service
announcements in Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese (Mandarin).
ACRATH aims to extend The RAP during 2013 to reach out to more communities across Australia.
?We aim to develop this project to provide community service announcements for local radio in a
number of other languages. We need to reach out to as many woman and communities as we
can. It is unacceptable that slavery exists today and we must work together, across all
communities, to stop it,’ said Christine.
Media inquiries & further information:
Christine Carolan is available for interview on request, please contact:
Brigid Corcoran @ ACRATH p 0404 738 628 Vicprojects@acrath.org.au
Australia Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans is endorsed by a peak body of
more than 190 religious congregations in Australia. ACRATH is committed to working
towards the elimination of human trafficking in Australia, in the Asia Pacific region, and internationally.
ACRATH works in partnership with the Australian Government and with anti trafficking NGOs to
achieve this goal. www.acrath.org.au