By Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
ABUJA, Jan 24 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Nigerian actress Stephanie Linus says celebrities like her can mobilise their fanbase and help stem the flood of women who swap Africa for a better life in Italy only to end up selling sex.
The Lagos-based Nollywood star said she hopes to raise awareness and so prevent more women and girls becoming victims of the global sex trafficking trade.
She spoke after visiting reception centres for victims of trafficking in Sicily, where she met Nigerian women who detailed their journeys to Europe and the dangers they faced.
“Because of the large network of fans we often have … we can … educate people in our networks about the dangers of trafficking and do our best to provide hope and inspiration to those who have already fallen victim,” Linus wrote in an email to the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
She emailed during a visit to Italy organised by the medical charity, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), which runs health centres that help migrants who come to Europe via the Mediterranean, most from sub-Saharan Africa.
