Maloney honored as anti-slavery advocate

In recognition of Congressmember Carolyn Maloney’s legislative achievements on behalf of victims of human trafficking, the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition (NYSATC) has named her its Congressional Anti-Slavery Champion of 2008.
The NYSATC cited Maloney’s long history of legislative advocacy, including the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) - which she was instrumental in passing - and the subsequent reauthoritizations that strengthened the bill.
The TVPA, enacted to protect the 14,000 to 17,000 people - by the U.S. State Department’s estimate - who are trafficked into the country each year, paled in comparison to the more effective William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) that was championed by Maloney and signed into law by President Bush in December, 2008. The law creates a legal framework for the criminal prosecution of human traffickers.
“Carolyn has been our greatest advocate in Congress, leading the way towards more effective legislation to combat human trafficking,” said Jessica Neuwirth, the President of Equality Now, which is a member of the NYSATC’s Steering Committee and the organizer of the press conference at which Maloney was presented with a certificate of honor by noted feminist author Gloria Steinem.
In a statement, Maloney said, “I am honored to have been named the Congressional Anti-Slavery Champion of 2008, and humbled to have been presented with this award by one of my heroes, Gloria Steinem. I thank the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition for their tireless work to end this 21st-century slavery.”
At the press conference, held at Equality Now’s Manhattan office, members of the NYSATC, comprised of 58 New York-based organizations, called on the Obama administration to step up the effort to end human trafficking on the national and global levels.