FYI, Our letter to NVADER, a religious group that rescues women from prostitution:

Dear Nvader Organisation

We came across the following advertisement for the movie “Nefarious – Merchant of Souls”:

“Did you know?

Governments estimate there are 27 million slaves being held worldwide – more than at any point in human history

(US State department, March 2012)

And, that after drug trafficking, trafficking in humans ties with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today and the fastest growing

(Department of Health & Human Services, 2011 respectively)

Even New Zealand, near the bottom of the Pacific has been described as “a source country for underage girls subjected to sex trafficking within the country” in a US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report.

The Basement Cinema is holding a private screening of ‘Nefarious – Merchant of Souls’ a powerful, honest & creative documentary that provides a broad insight into modern day slavery.

Screening Time: 7.30pm Tuesday 30th July.

Tickets $10. All proceeds to NVADER a NZ NGO involved with helping rescue & restore victims of trafficking.”

We are concerned that this advertisement is deliberately dishonest in implying that human trafficking mainly or largely involves forcing women into prostitution when in fact the overwhelming majority of human trafficking internationally is of men for their labour. No doubt the movie commits the same dishonesty. We believe that behaving unethically is unlikely to lead to a more moral or ethical humanity.

The advertisement also quoted “Even New Zealand, near the bottom of the Pacific has been described as “a source country for underage girls subjected to sex trafficking within the country” in a US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report.” However, the same report made it clear that investigations into NZ “trafficking’ had all involved male workers on foreign registered fishing boats or in the horticultural and building industries. Cases of underage prostitutes were said to have been referred to social services. If there had been any evidence that some person had enslaved those young prostitutes or in any way forced them to begin or maintain the work, you can be sure the NZ authorities would have prosecuted that person. There has been almost no evidence of commercial sexual slavery in NZ but clearly some would like to create a false impression that there is. Certainly, underage female prostitutes are likely to have unfortunate backgrounds and may benefit from guidance to help them understand the law and the implications of their chosen way of making money. However, there will be as many or more young males working in dangerous occupations that they are not equipped to manage, and they will generally be paid a minimum wage or less, certainly much less than the female prostitutes typically earn. Young males are allowed to choose to take up dangerous, life-threatening, body-wrecking occupations and mlaes suffer almost 100% of workplace deaths and the vast majority of workplace serious injuries, yet when young women choose to seek much bigger money through selling sex this becomes the only problem of concern and it’s assumed they are being forced; anything to avoid holding them responsible for their choices.

Does your organisation rescue men from employment under coerced, exploitative or unsafe employment situations? Do you work to rescue men from economic hardship that leads them to undertake dangerous jobs? If so we would appreciate details of such work which is something we would support.

The Ministry of Men’s Affairs is a community group because successive NZ governments have failed to respect the voice, interests or welfare of men.

Yours faithfully

Chief Executive

Ministry of Men’s Affairs