Yuzhnyi Kazakhstan № 100(18.0150) 19/08/2005
N. Olegova

   There were many appeals to psychologist Vere Zakutney and lawyer Saltanat Agabaevoy. Here is an example. Twenty-seven year old Aliya called the hotline and, while weeping, shared her misfortune. She is married with two children, a daughter who is three years old and a son who is two months old. Her husband works, but does not bring the money home to provide for the family. His reluctance to support her and the children had become a serious problem. When her little daughter asked to eat, it broke Aliya's heart. She wanted to know if there way any way to compel the husband to provide for the family.
   Sana Sezim was able to inform Aliya about Articles 124, 144, and 133 of the "About Marriage and the Family Act" and help her fill out documents for alimony and the maintenance of women. These documents ensure that she would be paid until her child reaches three years old and while she is not working. Yes, it was possible to obtain alimony while married. Moreover, Aliya doesn't gather that divorce would change his attitude towards her and her children. Aliya was able to receive psychological assistance through Sana Sezim. Specialists were able to help her overcome her feelings of despair, shame, and fear and her self-esteem and self-reliance was raised. Unfortunately many women, in similar situations, do not know that there is such a hotline (21-12-03). One can simply call and they will always receive help. Aliya was subjected to economic and psychological violence from her husband, but how many other women other types of violence as well, like physical or sexual violence. Only by breaking the wall of silence can violence in a society be defeated.

   What is needed to avoid getting into slavery? There is a cluster of calls, which are most often treated today on the hotline. Here are some examples:
   - "The topic that comes up most frequently in conversation, is where companies have promised to arrange heavenly lifestyles and well-paid jobs abroad and that did not end up being legal, meaning that they did not come with a work license" said the president of the Legal Center for Women's Initiatives "Sana Sezim", H. Abysheva.
   - We ask the caller to tell her location so that we can transfer it to the law enforcement agencies. Then we talk with the caller about their situation and about human trafficking. There are many proposals for seasonal work as waitresses in Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus. Many girls are willing to go there and then become caught in slavery. Sometimes girls call before they get caught in this situation and afterwards understand technical details, like that a working tourist visa may lack appropriate documents like insurance and a contract with a specific employer. They are able to avoid falling into slavery. What is slavery? It is the lowest paid, if paid at all, work where there are restrictions on rights and freedom of movement and sometimes beatings. Experts have tried to find reasons behind the growth of human trafficking and have found that it comes with motivations to seek employment abroad because of dissatisfaction with the labor market and living conditions. And where the state fails, there becomes a way for criminal structures to profit from human trafficking. And since the penalty is not inevitable, employment agencies abroad will continue to grow at the expense of trusting citizens.