Australians need to think past the “selfie moment” at foreign orphanages and consider whether they are helping or hindering the fight against child slavery, Hollywood star Rachel Griffiths says.
Ms Griffiths told a federal parliamentary inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act that Australian organisations which arrange orphanage tourism visits in countries like Cambodia have an important role to play
While people have good intentions, there is not enough examination of where the money spent by tourists is going, or whether families are receiving incentives for handing their children over to orphanages, the Muriel’s Wedding star said.
“We need to counter the selfie moment,” Ms Griffiths, a patron for charity Hagar, told the inquiry in Melbourne on Wednesday.
“If running into the orphanage and being greeted by 100 children making you feel good is the selfie moment, it’s going to take time for our educators to explain (that) while it may feel good, it may not actually be good.”
Hagar started in 1994 in Cambodia, and now also works in Afghanistan and Vietnam to help survivors of trafficking recover from trauma and reintegrate into society.
Hagar client Sophea Touch became emotional while recounting how she was handed over by her father when she was just three or four-years old to a woman who enslaved her in domestic servitude.
She endured repeated beatings and starvation and ran away to several other families where her mistreatment continued, resulting in her attempting suicide.
Ms Touch eventually found love, support and hope with a Hagar foster family, the inquiry was told.
Hagar told the inquiry that Australian companies and the government should have to publicly report on the steps they have taken to ensure there is no slavery in their business.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.
MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78.
Multicultural Mental Health Australia www.mmha.org.au.
Local Aboriginal Medical Service details available from www.bettertoknow.org.au/AMS
Source AAP
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