New Poll By
Lifetime Television/Entertainment Industries Council, Inc., Shows Americans
Support Harsher Penalties for Human Trafficking and More Protection for 'Mail
Order Brides'
-
Nearly Half of Americans Believe Human Trafficking is Happening in Their Own
Backyard; 53% Want Harsher Penalties for Human Traffickers, More Than Gun and
Drug Traffickers Combined -
- Part of
Lifetime's Emmy Award-Winning Campaign 'Stop Violence Against Women' Survey Released
as Net Gets Set to Premiere First-Ever Miniseries, 'Human Trafficking,' and
National Legislation Pending -
NEW YORK,
Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of passage of
bipartisan legislation in both the House and Senate governing international marriage
brokers (aka "mail order bride" agencies),
and the October 24th world premiere of Lifetime Television's first original
miniseries, "Human Trafficking," starring award-winning actors Mira Sorvino and Donald Sutherland, the Network partnered with
the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc.(EIC), on a new nationally
representative poll* showing that more education is needed on issues of human
trafficking and international marriage brokers, while a majority of Americans
believe both problems warrant more regulation and harsher penalties.
According
to the poll, 55% of Americans believe that human trafficking is a major problem
within our borders, and 45% actually feel it is happening in or near their own
communities. A majority (53%) say that human trafficking should carry the
harshest penalties, versus drug trafficking (30%) or gun trafficking
(14%).
On the
issue of international marriage brokers, three-fourths (74%) of those surveyed
did not know that international marriage brokers operate in the United States
legally. Although legal, brokers arranging unions between U.S. men and
foreign women are not obligated to tell potential brides if the men using these
services have a history of violence against women and children. As a
consequence, foreign women and their children, often escaping hardships from
their native lands, are abused, and sometimes even murdered.
The
Lifetime/EIC survey shows that while one-third (29%) of survey respondents
incorrectly believed that "mail order brides" already had the option
of conducting criminal background checks on their prospective
"spouses," an overwhelming number of Americans (89%) support
regulation that would make these background checks mandatory.
The poll,
conducted in conjunction with Equality Now, the International Justice Mission, Tahirih Justice Center, Vital Voices, Polaris Project,
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the National Domestic Violence
Hotline, comes at a critical time since Congress is in final consideration of
The International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 (IMBRA). IMBRA is a
bipartisan bill Lifetime has been supporting as part of the "Human
Trafficking" miniseries, which would help regulate the "mail order
bride" industry by providing foreign women information about the criminal
history of prospective American husbands, as well as the rights and resources
available to domestic violence victims in the United States, so that women can
make informed choices. IMBRA was inspired in part by the murders of two young
women in Washington State, Susanna Blackwell, a Filipina, and Anastasia
King, a native of Kyrgyzstan,
by husbands they met through these agencies.
Senators
Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Representatives Frank Wolf
(R-VA) and Rick Larsen (D-WA) introduced the IMBRA legislation, which
subsequently has been attached to the Violence Against Women Act, and recently
passed the House and Senate.
To help
raise further awareness of the battle to rescue victims enslaved in America,
Lifetime Television is premiering a two-part miniseries "Human
Trafficking" on October 24 and 25 at 9PM (ET/PT), starring Academy
Award(R) and Golden Globe(R)Award-winning actress Sorvino;
and Golden Globe(R) and Emmy(R) Award-winning actor Sutherland. The story is a
tough, uncompromising drama about the brutal realities behind the international
trafficking and brokering of women and children for sex. The miniseries and
poll, and an extensive public education initiative (including PSAs, viewers' guide and college campus events), were all
developed with the help of a wide range of anti-human trafficking advocates and
are a part of Lifetime's Emmy Award-winning campaign "Stop Violence
Against Women."
Many
leading experts, advocates and lawmakers are praising the miniseries and Lifetime's
extensive public education campaign around it. The International Justice
Mission has endorsed the miniseries as a "powerful portrayal of the
dignity and plight of victims in a way that motivates people to action";
Girls Inc. has commended the outreach for "shedding light on the
importance of protecting girls and women from this horrible crime"; and
the Vital Voices Global Partnership organization applauds the program for
"presenting the terrible realities of this trans-national crime and
enabling viewers to help stop this modern-day slavery."
The Tahirih Justice Center Executive Director Layli Miller-Muro said, "One
of the strongest tools we have in the fight against human trafficking and the
international marriage broker industry is public education. Once people are
made aware, and those suffering learn they have options, chances are
significantly greater that victims will be helped and lives saved."
"This
poll will drive awareness for the need to regulate international marriage
brokers, and help victims of trafficking, ensuring that trafficked women and
children are protected from violence associated with the atrocities of this
practice," said Brian Dyak, President and CEO,
Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. Added Meredith Wagner, Executive Vice
President, Public Affairs, Lifetime Entertainment Services, "We hope this
research, as well as our miniseries, will help further drive the message that
Americans care about this issue and want our government to take action to
protect victims of abuse."
Lifetime
Entertainment Services: LIFETIME is the leader in women's television and one of
the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company,
LIFETIME is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and
information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women
and their families. LIFETIME Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real
Women, Lifetime Home Entertainment and Lifetime Online are part of LIFETIME
Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The
Walt Disney Company.
Entertainment
Industries Council: EIC, a non-profit organization, was founded in 1983 by
leaders of the entertainment industry to bring the power of the industry to
bear on health and social issues. Among the issues EIC addresses are: drug,
alcohol, and tobacco use and addiction; firearm safety and injury prevention;
sun safety; human trafficking; terrorism and homeland security; mental health,
including bi-polar disorder; and HIV/AIDS prevention. EICs
websites are located at http://www.eiconline.org/
and http://www.prismawards.com
* fielded
September 9-13, 2005 via telephone by International Communications Research
(ICR). Nationally representative sample of 1,012 adults (504 women and 508
men) 18+ surveyed
SOURCE
Lifetime Television
Web Site: http://www.lifetimetv.com http://www.eiconline.org
http://www.prismawards.com
