Women are not business
Animus Association Foundation is launching a new prevention project against trafficking in women “Women are not business” on the 25th November, the International day for the elimination of violence against women in 60 bars/clubs in Sofia. This project is financed by the Swiss Embassy and by Swiss community members.
Our innovative and punchy preventive materials (flyers and beermats) geared to spread relevant information: what is trafficking in women and why care, act and help (number of the 24 hours Animus helpline for victims of violence). We want to raise awareness that significant amount of trafficking, especially for the purpose of forced prostitution occurs domestically, within Bulgaria’s own borders. The idea is to involve actors like clients of bars in the women’s human rights issues and to make prevention on a grassroot level. We believe that the community members can play an important role in diminishing the growth of trafficking in women over time.
A similar grassroot project was born in June 2008, in Switzerland, a country of destination of trafficked women. We distributed 6000 beermats in 30 bars in Lausanne to raise awareness among clients of bars, football fans about the trafficking in women issue. We realized that the contact with the community members was a great opportunity to inform people and make an outreach by encouraging a dialogue and build bridges with a target-group.
From July 2008, we decided to elaborate a new project here in Sofia and to work as a team together with the Animus prevention unit colleagues and the swiss graphic designers Monokini. We transformed this all-purpose media (beermat) into an efficient trafficking in women preventive material with a slogan Women are not business.
During 6 weeks, we met managers of hundred bars/clubs in Sofia in order to ask for their support by putting our prevention material (beermats/flyers) on their table with an aim to inform and make an outreach about trafficking in women. For a total of 103 bars & clubs visited, 60 accepted to participate. On the 25th November, 60 bars/clubs will join us for a one week action by distributing an amount of 6000 beermats and 12000 flyers. Bars like Petok, Sin City, Legloto, Cielo, Buddha Bar, Bukowski Theatre, After Five, Mono Club, Social Jazz Club, Backstage, Fan’s and the following bars in Studenski grad Toucan, Dolls, Street bar, Face, Space bar supported Women are not business. Here are some of the positive reactions we received during the tour of bars: ”it’s beautiful, it’s very useful, it’s the right place here, are you going to do it in Varna, Plovdiv, Sandanski?, we will put the material as long as it lasts, I want to put the logo of my bar to support this action, how can we help you?, I want 500, we have 1500 tables so we need 1500 beermats, can I keep the beermat?, do you make t-shirts and posters?, we want to support this action because it’s bad for women here, we are women and we care for their rights, we are for this action, 2-3 girls come here everyday and they might directly be concerned, here many young people come and we will put as much as you want on our tables, you should go to the chalga clubs, I like the design and the colours fit our interior design, very good idea, it’s free and the material is good quality, of course we want to help, congratulation for your action, I love the idea, can we offer you a drink?
Other reactions like “we don’t have trafficked women here, here it’s business, it’s a nice project but not here, sorry not here, why in bulgaria?, not prevention here, women are not business ahah, I will call you, the manager is not here, people don’t want to see this thing here, bring us women! . One bar hung up on us, on the phone, just after the explanation of the action. If there is still a long road ahead, we truly believe that all together with solidarity, we can take a stand for women’s human rights.
A launching event will occur on the 25th November at the Apartment (on Neofit Rilski 68) at 18:00 with the screening of the MTV Exit: End exploitation & trafficking and the presence of embassies and NGO’s located in Sofia.
Additional information about the project (in french) here.
Pictures of the project here.
Virginie Thurre
Swiss co-worker at Animus Association
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