SAVING WOMEN FROM HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Sister Eilis Coe has seen a lot in the last six decades. Having joined the Sisters of Charity in 1961, she has, over the years, given her support, practically, emotionally, and spiritually, to people from all walks of life.

So when she heard that Ruhama, the Dublin based charity supporting women who have been affected by prostitution, were looking for assistance, she didn’t think twice before offering a helping hand. 

“About 12 years ago, Sr Geraldine from Ruhama asked if we, at the Sisters of Charity, could help in any way,” she recalls. “They work hands on helping women on the streets of Dublin who are involved in prostitution and I was glad to do what I could. 

“It was a very novel experience for me in the beginning and my job was just to talk, make soup or tea, or just lend a listening ear. There was always a social worker with me who would sort out any practical help which was needed such as counselling or healthcare – I was really there just to offer a bit of comfort.”

And this is exactly what the women and girls needed – someone with a kind word, a hot drink and smile – as most had been through a very tough time and their self-esteem was at rock bottom.  

“The thing that struck me at that time was how many of the women believed they were worthless,” says Sr Eilis. “They would say to me that they were ‘nothing’ or just a ‘piece of dirt’ and worse, it was heart breaking to hear how they felt as they had been so degraded. And it was so obvious that they did not choose this life for themselves out of a list of options, they were doing it because they had no choice or because they were addicted to drugs or their partner was, and they were earning money to pay for it. 

“Some were on the streets because they were stuck in deep poverty and many had children, which they left at home at night, in order to go out and try and make some money to buy the things they needed. And I discovered that many would need to make themselves a little bit drugged in order to get through the night.”

As well as the Irish women Sr Eilis met at the centre, she also began to encounter women who had been trafficked here from other countries. They had somehow managed to escape and find their way to Ruhama (usually through a social worker) and it was here that she would help them with literacy skills as officials tried to figure out how they could secure their future. 

“What these women went through, and still do, is appalling,” she says. “I learned a lot about trafficking from them while I was helping them with their reading, writing, and spelling. They told me stories of how they were tricked into thinking they were coming to Ireland for a good job or how, in some cases, a family member sold them to a trafficker who brought them here. And when they arrived, they were put to work in a brothel and experienced rape and abuse time and time again. They didn’t feel as though they had any value at all and were extremely traumatised – some were also disorientated and didn’t even know what part of the world they were in, so I would show them on a map where they were in relation to their home country.

“They are brought here from different places around the world, but the majority would be from Nigeria and also Brazil, Moldova and Latvia. Most are in their late teens and although I am not a psychologist, I could see what affect this has on them. They are all traumatised and damaged in body, mind and spirit as they were told that if they didn’t do the work, their families back home would suffer – they were ruled by fear and superstition and needed professional help in order to recover from their ordeal.” 

Although most of us are blissfully unaware, the outreach worker says the problem of trafficking is widespread in this country. 

“Ireland quite bad for human trafficking and is tier two on the watch list,” she says. “We are very bad in terms of prosecuting and need a lot of improvement, although now a lot of groups are beginning to come together to work against trafficking. But the driving force behind this is demand as 8% of Irish men are buying sex so there is a huge demand for women for purchase.

“Of course not all men are like this, but those who are involved in this big minority are engaging in crime, which is happening all over the country, not just on the streets of Dublin but in apartment blocks, nail bars and beauty salons. It’s all going on behind a façade and when places are closed down, they open up somewhere else and move the trafficked women around at night – these poor girls are in the hands of criminals and those buying sex are ensuring that this keeps happening.” 

The young women who Sr Eilis works with have thankfully managed to escape but will need so much help to get their lives back on track.

“Ruhama is the front line for this,” she says. “The girls go to the centre and get allocated a case worker and counsellor, both who will be working to rehabilitate them. Some will choose to stay here long enough to recover, but others want to return to their home countries straight away and we will arrange that for them. 

“But many are too ashamed to go home as they told their parents and families that they were leaving for a better life and a respectable job. Of these, some will go back to another part of their own country and will stay in a hostel where the sisters will help them to get back on their feet, regain their health and become strong enough to start a small job – maybe something like cooking or sewing, just something to keep them motivated. 

“The ones that choose to stay in Ireland will have to go through all the formalities and eventually may get some work which will help them to become independent. I have dealt with about 20 of these girls over the years and some have managed to get involved in college courses and settle down, which is great to see as they have been through such harrowing experiences.”

There is only so much that Sr Eilis and the other charity workers can do to help those involved in these tragic cases, but, she says, we can all do our bit by being vigilant and reporting any situation which seems suspicious.

“I really believe that the population as a whole, needs to be much more aware,” she says. “Demand needs to be driven down and the fact that it (buying sex) is so widespread needs to be addressed. I would encourage people to keep their eyes open and report if they see anything happening on the street, in an apartment block or even in a hotel (many hotels have an anti-trafficking policy, so these are the ones to support). 

“However, it would be best not to get involved directly as this could make a situation worse for the women – so call the Gardai, who are very well trained, and leave it with them. These women need our help, they don’t need derision or scorn – they are the victims here, even those who have survived – and there are plenty of others who are still stuck in an awful situation, so we all need to do what we can to help.”

www.ruhama.ie

By Arlene Harris