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Winrock International is a nonprofit organization that works with people in the United States and around the world to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources. Winrock has been engaged in the fight against trafficking-in-persons for over 12 years, having successfully implemented anti-trafficking programs around the world.

Actions to Combat Trafficking-in-Persons (ACT) Program (October 2008-September 2012):

Human trafficking takes several forms and has many faces. Its scope includes the exploitation of men, women and children into bonded or abusive labor or the commercial sex trade. Trafficking violates the human rights of its victims, damages lives, feeds corruption, exacts an economic toll on governments and taxpayers, and harms society at all levels.

The four-year Actions for Combating Trafficking-in-Persons (ACT) Program, implemented by Winrock International, connects local and national government representatives, non-governmental organizations, and citizens and community leaders to spearhead an effort to prevent trafficking-in-persons, protect and reverse damages to survivors, prosecute crimes of perpetrators, and engage all layers of society as change agents in curbing trafficking. The ACT Program works collaboratively to:

• empower survivors of trafficking and those at-risk for trafficking;
• provide viable economic alternatives to unsafe internal and cross-border migration;
• expand public awareness and participation in prevention efforts and crime reduction;
• build the capacity of government institutions to identify and prosecute perpetrators; and
• eliminate social and gender biases that undermine basic human rights and help perpetuate trafficking.

      ACT Program Fact Sheet (click here)

History In Bangladesh: Winrock and its predecessor organizations have had an active, direct presence in Bangladesh since the 1970s and have developed a strong country-wide network of collaborating NGOs as well as long-standing, positive relationships with key community and government stakeholders. In its National Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction (PRSP), the Government of Bangladesh strongly endorsed Winrock's co-management approach developed under the Bangladesh Management of Aquatic Ecosystems through Community Husbandry (MACH) Program. Winrock has also been very successful in reaching out to community leaders. For example, under the BREAD program, Winrock provided training to religious leaders (imams) in enterprise development and agricultural production methods. Anti-Trafficking Experience: Winrock has implemented major trafficking-in-persons (TIP) programs and managed TIP activities of subcontractors in 18 countries, receiving acclaim for its innovative methodologies. To date, Winrock's programs have impacted more than 250,000 at-risk or trafficked individuals around the world. Winrock programs take a multi-disciplinary approach to fostering collaboration between government and civil society, including training for law enforcement agents, judges, prosecutors, and medical personnel, and collaboration between teachers and family members.