ANTIGUA & BARBUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY

Sheila Roseau, right, accepting the award from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Executive Directorate of Gender Affairs Sheila Roseau was yesterday presented with 2011 Hero Acting to End Modern Day Slavery Award by US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the State Department in Washington.

The award coincided with the release of the 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report.

Roseau, a longtime advocate for women’s rights, was a driving force behind the passage of Antigua & Barbuda’s first law that provides criminal penalties for human traffickers and extensive protections for victims.

After steering the drafting of the legislation and lobbying for its passage, Roseau now champions its ongoing implementation.

She and her dedicated team have established a cross-departmental coalition to co-ordinate anti-trafficking efforts within the government, rolled out an information campaign tailored to the local context, and set up a public-private partnership for sheltering victims that specifically addresses the challenges of small-island privacy issues.

Prior to 2010, she assisted trafficking victims, including one foreign child, who is now an adult integrated into Antiguan society, thanks to Roseau’s help. This is one of the only reported long-term assistance programmes granted to a foreign trafficking victim by a government in the region.