African women are being recruited for work in Russia through TikTok. The South African government has urged them not to fall for the trap. | Global Politics
globalpolitics.info
The South African government has warned young women about suspicious job offers in Russia that have been actively advertised on social media. The government

Cross posted from https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/42216456

Archived

The South African government has warned young women about suspicious job offers in Russia that have been actively advertised on social media. The government admits it cannot cope with youth unemployment, but urges them not to risk their safety out of desperation.

This is stated in a statement by the South African Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.

[…]

Advertisements that have appeared on TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms are seeking women aged 18 to 22 for jobs in construction and hospitality. Local influencers have also started promoting the offers. One of them is blogger Sayan Buji, who has been promoting a two-year “starter program” for young women looking to gain professional skills.

Budzhi has 1.7 million followers on TikTok. In the video, filmed in Tatarstan, she talked about a “fresh new beginning,” assuring that the girls would be treated fairly, that those hired would be given jobs and that they would be taught to speak Russian. However, it was not clear from her video what professions the young women would be working in, the BBC reports.

The media has named the Alabuga special economic zone in Tatarstan, where military drones are manufactured, as one of the main recruiters. It was previously reported that women from Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, etc. are being recruited there.

The South African government said it was actively investigating reports of foreign programs recruiting South Africans under false pretenses. While there was no evidence that Bouji had done anything illegal, the video ad has since disappeared from her page.

[…]

The South African government has acknowledged that the country faces unacceptably high levels of youth unemployment, especially among young women, but has urged people not to succumb to tempting but unverified job offers.

“The safety, dignity and future of young South African women are of paramount importance, and we cannot allow the despair generated by high unemployment to be weaponized against our youth,” it said.

  • HotznplotznOPEnglish
    1·
    6 months ago

    Why the Creator Economy Must Confront Its Alabuga Moment - [Opinion]

    The Alabuga Start […] is our cigarette-doctor moment — a reminder that trust, the very currency of the creator ecosystem, must be protected and continuously earned […]

    Investigations revealed the programme was a front for forced labour in a Russian industrial military complex. Workers were allegedly exposed to toxic chemicals, placed under surveillance, and forced into long hours supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.

    Influencers who promoted the programme — some of whom have since apologised — became unwitting vectors of exploitation. Whether misled or negligent, the outcome was the same: they betrayed their audiences’ trust […]