Duration: October 2011 - September 2015

FundingLevel: $746,414 (Kyrgyz Republic)

Implementing Partner: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Key Partners: civil society organizations, Ministry of Labor

Activity Locations: Nationwide

Activity Goal

The USAID Counter-Trafficking Project contributed to the efforts of the Central Asian Republics to address human trafficking by promoting and reinforcing gender-sensitive prevention and protection measures for victims of trafficking. The project was launched in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in 2010 and in the Kyrgyz Republic in October 2011.

Activity Focus Areas

• Preventing human trafficking through gender-mainstreamed awareness-raising campaigns on key trafficking issues and through national level advocacy, policy debate, and informational activities with civil society, governmental and non-governmental actors;
• Protecting female and male victims of trafficking (VOTs) through appropriate and comprehensive assistance for voluntary return, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

Activity Achievements

The program helped the Kyrgyz Republic to counter trafficking through increased awareness of target groups about the risks of human trafficking; reintegration of identified trafficking victims; increased capacity of civil society organizations to combat human trafficking; and strengthening the cooperation between the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and civil society in counter-trafficking.

The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic demonstrated its commitment to address human trafficking through its continued support to shelters and hotlines. As of June 2015, nearly 1,048 awareness-raising events have engaged over 139,870 participants in counter-trafficking activities.  In addition, 14,973 consultations have been held through the counter-trafficking hotline (0800 0000 189); 179 victims of trafficking have received rehabilitation and reintegration assistance; and governmental bodies and local municipalities in Bishkek and Osh have provided rent-free locations for shelters and the office housing for the counter-trafficking hotline.