Nodira Karimova

Nodira Karimova worked with IOM, as the regional coordinator for a project combating human trafficking, and also founded her own NGO: Istiqbolli Avlod.

Her NGO provides several shelters for victims. Since the victims are often returned from other countries that they have been trafficked to, she works with many victims who are being repatriated. The organization was founded in 2001. Ms. Karimova was able to build effective partnerships with other NGOs, and especially with the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Uzbekistan, as well as the Office of Consular Affairs. Through her work with the latter, Ms. Karimova has been able to help Uzbek embassies identify and repatriate victims. She has held trainings for consular officials. In 2008, 2009, and half of 2010, the Uzbek embassy worked with the police in Dubai to identify and repatriate over 150 victims. Ms. Karimova was able to get the number of hotlines in Uzbekistan increased to about 10, and over 100,000 calls have been taken at the various hotlines throughout Uzbekistan since their inception. Since 2002, Ms. Karimova’s organization has helped over 3,000 survivors of human trafficking in some form.

Currently, Ms. Karimova and Istqibolli Avlod are implementing a project funded through generous grants from USAID. The project was began in 2011, and is set to conclude in 2016. The project is meant to help provide reintegration services, medical services, psychological services, and legal services for female trafficking survivors. The project additionally provides vocational training and employment. 

In the 2014 TIP Report, Uzbekistan was listed as a Tier 3 country, the lowest classification. Human Trafficking is common, and, during the cotton harvest, often government-supported. It is only a source country. Internal trafficking is common, for forced labor, and people are also trafficked overseas, mainly for sexual purposes.