On Tuesday 2 February 2016, Luxembourg's Minister for Equal Opportunities, Lydia Mutsch, attended the 'Korczak 2015' Award ceremony, where the Femmes en Détresse (FED) association and the Fondation Maison de la Porte Ouverte (FMPO) were both honoured with the award.
The ceremony was held by the Fondation Kannerschlass and bestowed the FED and FMPO with the Korczak prize, two associations which have worked alongside the Ministry of Equal Opportunities against human trafficking and its violation of both the fundamental rights of human beings and the right to equality between men and women.
The FED and FMPO were at the heart of the creation of the two services providing assistance to human trafficking victims which were approved in 2014 by the Minsitry of Equal Opportunities: the Service d'Assistance aux Victimes de la Traite des Êtres Humains (SAVTEH) and the Centre Ozanam - Traite des Êtres Humains (COTEH). These last two organisations are the fist responders on the ground and provide outpatient care to victims of human trafficking, be they women, men or children.
Working closely with their respective services, the FED and the FMPO have been pioneers in establishing an appropriate and effective framework and support for identified victims of the trafficking process in Luxembourg. They contribute to the physical and psychological recovery of these victims, as well as provide an opportunity for them to head in a new life direction in conditions respectful of their physical, psychological and human rights.
The Minister of Equal Opportunities, Lydia Mutsch, has expressed her concern for the prevalence of trafficking around the world, including in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, which generates thousands of victims. The Minister stated her continued approval at the support and coaching programmes which provide victims with a dignified future.
Lydia Mustch thanked the Fondation Kannerschlass for choosing to give visibility to the victims of trafficking and thematising the phenomenon. According to the Minister, this choice also confirmed the crucial importance of the work of the two services honoured.
The Korczak prize represents a key symbol of encouragement and support to those who are committed to aiding the cause of the most vulnerable.
Photo by MEGA (L-R: Joëlle Legille, Femmes en détresse ; Joëlle Schranck, Social Director, Femmes en détresse ; Sana Murad, Femmes en détresse ; Lydia Mutsch, Minister of Equal Opportunities ; Myriam Mersch-Zimmer, Director, FMPO ; Äsa Sundin, FMPO))
