Cablegate: Latvia Nominee for International Women of Courage 2008.

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INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KWMN PREL KPAO PHUM LG
SUBJECT: LATVIA NOMINEE FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE 2008.

REF: STATE 099729

1. Embassy Riga nominates Iluta Lace, founder of the Marta Resource
Center for Women, for the Secretary's 2009 International Women of
Courage Award.

2. Biographical information:

-- Full legal name: Iluta Lace
-- Job title/association: Chairwoman of the Board, Marta Resource
Center for Women
-- Date of birth: October 26, 1975
-- Country of birth: Latvia
-- Citizenship: Latvia
-- Address: 34, Cesu iela 4, LV-4000, Limbazi, Latvia
-- Telephone: +371 29264898
-- E-mail: iluta@marta.lv
-- Passport number: LK0625823

3. Iluta Lace is founder and Chairwoman of the Board for the Marta
Resource Center for Women. The Marta Center is the leading local
non-governmental organizations involved in the fight against human
trafficking. Combating trafficking in persons remains a significant
challenge in Latvia, which is a source country for victims
trafficked to other countries in Europe for the commercial sex
trade.

4. Over the past years, the Marta Center has carried out several
human trafficking prevention projects targeting potential
trafficking victims. It has provided education and training for
staff members of many Latvia government institutions of Latvian
government about dangers of trafficking and how to respond to
instances of trafficking. The Marta Center also provides assistance
and rehabilitation services to victims of trafficking, and has been
actively involved in drafting the current Latvia's National Program
to Fight Human Trafficking.

5. Iluta Lace has succeeded in establishing an efficient and well
motivated team at the Marta Center, with expertise frequently called
upon by GOL officials. Ms. Lace has also become known throughout
Europe as one of the leading Latvian experts on gender equality
issues, and was worked on international efforts to study and fight
trafficking.

6. Ms. Lace has also worked to raise awareness of issues affecting
women more broadly. She organized a women's party and a women's
list to the Parliament elections in 1998 when only few women were on
the election lists of the political parties. She has also
facilitated the creation of a network of Latvian NGOs to collaborate
on women's issues.

LARSON

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