News

On 18 August, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania will host a round table discussion “Women of the World – against violence and human trafficking”. Contestants of Mrs Universe 2010, organizers of the contest, representatives from Lithuania’s state institutions, non-governmental organizations, and foreign embassies in Lithuania will discuss the issues of fight against violence in families and human trafficking, as well as the matters of gender equality.

This event is a social campaign, aimed to pay attention to the global problem of violence and trafficking in human beings. During the round table discussion, the project "Beauty against Trafficking in Human Beings" will be presented, and the most active participants of Mrs Universe 2010 contest will be nominated as ambassadors of the project.

The participants of the round table discussion are expected to sign a declaration, in which governments, international and public organizations will be invited to participate in a joint co-ordinated action against trafficking in human beings and violence. Women and children are most common targets of these mistreatments.

Each year, about one million people around the world become victims of human trafficking. New technologies allow human trafficking to intensify in virtual space. Beauty and fashion world is an especially favorable environment for human trafficking. The participants and organizers of Mrs Universe 2010 contest encourage organizations and famous people working in the field of beauty to join the fight against violence and human trafficking.

The discussion is held by Lithuanian Human Rights League, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the public institution “Pramogų akademija” (Entertainment Academy).