Strengthening Policies to Protect Women and Children Victims in the Eradication of Trafficking in Persons

Abstract

Human trafficking is still developing as a crime that deprives human dignity, especially of women and children who are in vulnerable positions due to poverty, inequality in access to work, power relations, and insecure migration. This research aims to analyze legal policies in the eradication of trafficking in persons and formulate strengthening protection for women and children as victims. The research method used is normative legal research with a legislative, conceptual, and limited comparison approach to international standards. The results of the discussion show that national law already has a criminal basis through Law Number 21 of 2007, the regulation of witness and victim protection, and a community-based service mechanism. Victim protection still faces obstacles to early identification, proof of exploitation, psychological recovery, restitution, and inter-agency coordination. Policy strengthening is directed at community-based prevention, asset tracking, sustainable recovery, child protection based on the best interests of children, and work procedures for the authorities that prioritize victims from the reporting stage to social reintegration.