‘Easy targets’: Eye of the Child warns poverty is fuelling human trafficking in Malawi
As the world marks World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the Malawian child rights organisation Eye of the Child has joined stakeholders across the country in renewing calls to confront what it describes as one of the most devastating crimes of our time.
This year’s global theme, “Human Trafficking is Organized Crime, End the Exploitation,” aims to reframe public understanding of the issue – underlining that trafficking is rarely a matter of isolated abuse, but rather the product of highly organised criminal networks that profit from exploiting vulnerable people.
In Malawi, Eye of the Child is marking the day under the local campaign banner “Trapped Behind the Scam”, highlighting how false promises – of jobs, scholarships, marriage or opportunities abroad – have become some of the most common tactics used to lure children, women and young people into exploitation.
Asiyatu James, public relations officer for Eye of the Child, said the same underlying conditions continued to leave certain groups disproportionately at risk.
“Children, women, and young people remain among the most vulnerable to trafficking due to poverty, unemployment, limited access to education, and lack of information,” James said.
“These challenges make them easy targets for traffickers who prey on desperation and hope. This underscores the urgent need for continuous community awareness, education, and prevention efforts.”
The organisation said its response to trafficking rests on several pillars: public awareness campaigns, support services for survivors, and family reintegration programmes, delivered in partnership with government institutions, law enforcement agencies, traditional leaders, schools, faith-based groups and development partners.
Officials at Eye of the Child argue that this kind of collective, cross-sector approach is essential if communities are to become an effective first line of defence against traffickers, who often operate quietly and adapt quickly to evade detection.
The organisation has also called on the government to go further, urging authorities to strengthen anti-trafficking legislation, improve protection and support mechanisms for victims, and ensure that traffickers face thorough investigation, prosecution and justice.
The renewed appeal comes amid growing concern, both in Malawi and globally, over the evolving methods used by trafficking networks – including the exploitation of social media and digital platforms to identify and groom potential victims, a trend that campaigners say has made prevention efforts more urgent, and more complex, than ever.