HUMAN trafficking and the devastating impact it has on women and girls is to be tackled by a charity associated with the Prince of Wales.
Charles announced, during a dinner in support of the British Asian Trust, that the organisation would be launching an anti-trafficking fund to target the problem.
MORE TOP STORIES:
The Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall were joined by more than 300 guests at the event staged at Banqueting House in London’s Whitehall – including Nobel Peace Prize winner and child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi, music mogul Simon Cowell and his partner Lauren Silverman, and X Factor judge Louis Walsh.
Also among the guests were Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji, Chelsea footballer Cesc Fabregas and British Asian Trust ambassadors Shahid Khan, a DJ and producer known as Naughty Boy, comedian and actor Sanjeev Bhaskar and entrepreneur James Caan.
Before a film was played to the guests, highlighting the stories of two individuals who had survived trafficking, Charles said: “Hearing of the horrific ordeals these young girls suffered is heart-breaking, but I was so very struck by their tremendous courage and could not be more encouraged by the local organisations working tirelessly to rescue, care for and rehabilitate women and children who have been victims of this appalling practice.”
The Prince, who is the Trust’s president, added: “As you can perhaps imagine, I am extremely proud that my British Asian Trust is making its own contribution to these overall efforts by this year launching its Anti-Trafficking Fund, which I hope will help in a small way to prevent and address violence against women and children.”
The new fund for India will build on work which the Trust has already been doing to support vulnerable girls affected by violence and abuse.
The British Asian Trust was founded in 2007 by a group of British Asian business leaders at the suggestion of Charles, and it serves as a “social fund’’ supporting charities within the areas of education, health and livelihoods in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here