Stakeholders unite to address gender dimensions of trafficking for forced criminality in South-East Asia

Sixty national and regional stakeholders took part in the Regional Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Approaches to Address Trafficking in Persons for Forced Criminality, organized by UN Women. Photos: UN Women/Pairach Homtong

Sixty national and regional stakeholders took part in the Regional Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Approaches to Address Trafficking in Persons for Forced Criminality, organized by UN Women. Photos: UN Women/Pairach Homtong

Sixty national and regional stakeholders took part in the Regional Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Approaches to Address Trafficking in Persons for Forced Criminality, organized by UN Women. Photos: UN Women/Pairach Homtong

Sixty national and regional stakeholders took part in the Regional Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Approaches to Address Trafficking in Persons for Forced Criminality, organized by UN Women. Photos: UN Women/Pairach Homtong

Sixty national and regional stakeholders took part in the Regional Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Approaches to Address Trafficking in Persons for Forced Criminality, organized by UN Women. Photos: UN Women/Pairach Homtong

A collective, whole-of-society approach is essential to address the complex and serious issue of trafficking in persons to work in scam centres in South-East Asia and perpetrate other cyber-enabled harms. 

This was a major conclusion reached by diverse stakeholders during a UN Women-convened Regional Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Approaches to Address Trafficking in Persons for Forced Criminality: Applying a Women, Peace and Security Lens, held in Bangkok on 24 March 2025.

The Regional Dialogue offered a unique opportunity to review gender-responsive interventions and women’s participation in addressing trafficking in persons for forced criminality in the region, with a view to disrupting the cycle of abuse and building community resilience.

“The gendered dimensions of non-traditional security risks, such as trafficking in persons, require innovative, coordinated and whole-of-society re-thinking to safeguard women’s rights and achieve regional stability,” explained Christine Arab, UN Women Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.

In response to an alarming rise in trafficking in women for forced criminality along the Thailand-Myanmar border, UN Women in partnership with the Government of Japan has been implementing a project to provide immediate support to survivors and mitigate and prevent the surge in trafficking in women and other cyber-enabled harms along this border area.

During her opening remarks, Yoshiko Motoyama, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and Chief of International Organizations, Embassy of Japan in Thailand, underscored the importance and relevance of cooperation to address cross-border trafficking in persons.

Altogether, 60 regional and national stakeholders took part in the Regional Dialogue, including representatives of government, the police, civil society organizations, academia, regional organizations, UN Women and other UN and international entities.

South-East Asia is witnessing a rapid transformation in human trafficking dynamics as criminal operations increasingly shift online.

UN Women identifies trafficking in women for forced criminality as a critical issue that needs to be addressed comprehensively, including through the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, particularly in conflict and crisis-affected settings.

This forum enabled stakeholders to explore tested strategies, new ideas and collaborative approaches to strengthen coordinated responses and innovative prevention efforts, guided by the WPS agenda.

“Current issues cannot be tackled by one organization alone, but require support from the police, universities and other CSOs to form a strong shield,” noted a panelist, Nunnaree Luangmoi, Director of the Center for Girls Foundation, Thailand. “Women in border cities can use this shield to fight the human trafficking issue by utilizing women-power backed by the public sector.”

Young people, especially young women and girls, have been disproportionately impacted by heightened risks of trafficking and cyber-exploitation, often lured by false economic opportunities.

Participants underscored the need for collective efforts to include innovative solutions led by youth and aimed at improving the skills of young people to protect themselves and their communities.

“Gamified prevention campaigns offer a powerful way to reach at-risk youth,” said Priyank Mathur, Chief Executive Officer, Mythos Labs, during a panel discussion on technology, innovation and youth leadership. “In partnership with UN Women, we’re proud to have developed Safe Path, an edu-taining game that teaches young people how to defend against online tactics used by perpetrators of trafficking for forced criminality.”

Launched last month, Safe Path is an informative and entertaining gamified e-module designed as part of the resilience-building efforts targeting youth under the UN Women-Japan initiative.