Women make up the majority of people accused in human trafficking cases reported from 2018 to 2022 in Rwanda, according to a UN report on Global Report on Trafficking in Persons.

The report indicates that from 88 trafficking in persons cases filed in the last four years, the accused were 58 women and 56 men. During this period, 35 cases were brought to court involving 21 women and 20 men, and only 29 of these cases were successfully prosecuted by the Prosecutor General’s office.

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This is while 879 suspected cases of human trafficking were stopped during that period, and 67 per cent of those involved are female victims, according to statistics from the Ministry of Justice.

Broadly in line with the global average, apprehended traffickers largely operate within business-type organised criminal groups, the report stated, "Yet, in contrast to other regions, non-organised traffickers operating in loose associations in Sub-Saharan Africa or working alone were also common among those convicted.”

Figures reveal that 74 percent of human trafficking is a business-type of organised crime, 22 percent is an association of traffickers while 4 percent are individual traffickers.

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Globally, human trafficking cases fell by 11 percent in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available in most countries. This is mainly attributed to pandemic-related restrictions on movement and business operations.

"Nonetheless, the decrease in detected victims have largely been registered in low and middle-income countries where justice, social and health systems have struggled to cope with Covid-19 and its fallout and may not have the resources to respond to trafficking challenges,” cited the report.

In Sub Saharan Africa, more children than adults continue to be detected as victims of trafficking. Similar to other regions, girls and women together make up the largest share of victims, accounting for 62 percent of the total.

In the region, 85 percent of victims detected in 2020 were trafficked domestically.

Forced labour drives trafficking in East Africa

While sexual exploitation is historically a significant form of exploitation in other regions that record the majority of female victims, forced labour continues to be the most common form of trafficking detected in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Particularly in East Africa, 80 percent victims were trafficked for forced labour, 13 percent for sexual exploitation, and seven percent for other purposes, according to reported data.

Reports from Court cases show that detected victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation in Sub-Saharan Africa were exploited in private apartments as a result of pandemic restrictions and curfews.

"We cannot allow this immoral crime to be met with indifference and impunity,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

"Let us take this opportunity to redouble our commitment and bring together concerned communities with governments, law enforcement, health and social services, schools, civil society, academia, the UN and all partners to strengthen resilience against exploitation and end trafficking in persons once and for all.”