Jakarta, 26 July 2023 – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, conducted a hybrid public discussion on psychosocial support for male victims of trafficking on 26 July 2023. Attended by 50 participants, including 27 males and 23 females, the meeting gathered representatives of government, non-government organizations, social workers, associations, and survivors of trafficking. This meeting aimed to share the best practices for providing such support and introduce the Technical Guidance on The Provision of Psychosocial Support for Male Victims of Trafficking that has been under development since 2022.  

“The technical guidance was developed as a part of joint efforts in strengthening protection for victims of trafficking. The idea emerged due to the current situation of trafficking in persons cases in Indonesia and the region where males are also exploited, while most existing services and assistance are more ready to accommodate women and children’s victims. Some challenges were found while providing psychosocial support to male victims including the difficulty to articulate their needs and feelings. This affects the recovery process,” said Sebastien Reclaru, Programme Manager of IOM. During his opening, he also highlighted the increased number of male victims of trafficking.

The House of Protection and Trauma Center (RPTC) recorded 485 male victims who received assistance in 2022, a 78% increase from 2021The lead consultant of the technical guidance development, Suarni Daeng Caya, emphasized the third chapter of the guidance.“The chapter explains specific psychosocial support for male victims of trafficking which is divided into three types of assistance individual, family, and community and society. The guidance also mentioned some therapies that could be provided to male victims of trafficking. The therapist, however, needs special training.”

The guidance was developed to support the works of both government and non-government service providers. Rahmat Koesnadi, Director of Social Rehabilitation in the Ministry of Social Affairs emphasized the psychosocial support for the victims. “What is important upon the completion of this book is how psychosocial support could be implemented in our service points including at the House of Protection and Trauma Center. We appreciate this collaboration and hope it could be strengthened in the future”.

The event was followed by a talk show moderated by Among Resi, Project Manager IOM Thailand. The talks show invited speakers from the Ministry of Social Affairs (Mr. Rahmat Koesnadi), Independent Indonesian Professional Social Worker (Mr. Puji Pujiono), and a survivor of trafficking, to share their perspectives. Pujiono explained three crucial aspects of psychosocial support. “Psychosocial is a holistic process starting from prevention, protection, and prosecution. This type of support can only be provided by skilled and certified persons. Lastly, it should involve family and community and place the victim at the center of any decisions”.

This event was also attended by practitioners and researchers in social affairs who provided some insights during the discussion.  Meity Subardhini from Social Welfare Polytechnic in Bandung highlighted the importance of gender-sensitive assistance. “I first questioned why we need specific guidance on psychosocial support for male victims. But after thorough learning on this issue, I agree that we need this. There are indeed some behavioural and physiological differences between women and men. Thus, tailored assistance that considers gender-sensitives is needed.to ensure that all victims are assisted properly.”

The public discussion concluded that a victim-centered approach should be mainstreamed throughout the provision of psychosocial support. This event was held with support from the European Union through the Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia project.