INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY SHOULD GIVE PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

12.48.03pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 8th Mar 2006

Today, Wednesday 8th March, is International Women's Day, and to observe its importance the South East's Lib Dem Euro-MP Sharon Bowles is supporting renewed calls for an end to human trafficking.

The Lib Dem Group in the European Parliament has submitted a series of verbal questions asking the Parliament to confirm how much action has been taken to stop the appalling practice of trafficking human beings, particularly women and children, who are often forced into prostitution by the trafficking gangs.

Sharon Bowles said "Today on International Women's Day I feel we have a particular duty to think of those women and children who have been trafficked and trapped into forced prostitution. There are a substantial number of International resolutions condemning trafficking, and many European initiatives have been approved to try to stop this trade in human life, but we must continue to press for action all the time that this problem exists."

"I, like most other women in Europe, will be spending today in my usual way combining my working life and personal life to the best of my abilities, making every day choices and moving forward with my life. My heart goes out today to those women who are prevented from living their own lives by this evil trafficking trade. I hope that our questions to the Parliament help reveal the progress Europe is making on stamping out this trade, and pushes for more action to be taken."

Ends