People And Their Problems
New Delhi, 23 June 2007
Human
Trafficking
Poverty & Deprivation Main problems
By
Dhurjati Mukherjee
Human trafficking has been a big problem in many parts of
the world and specially in India
and many other Asian countries. The UN Protocol Against Trafficking in Persons,
in effect since December 2003 makes human trafficking a crime. The Protocol has
been signed and ratified by more than 110 countries, yet the participating
governments and their criminal justice systems have not effectively curbed the
practice. Few criminals are convicted and most victims are not properly
rehabilitated.
Trafficking in persons has mainly been for sexual
exploitation or forced labour and, according to reports of the UN Office on
Drugs and Crime (UNDOC), 127 countries get exploited among 137 nations. Some
2.5 million people throughout the world are at any given time recruited, entrapped,
transported and exploited---a process
called human trafficking. The UN and other experts estimate the total market
value of illicit human trafficking at $ 32 billion; about $ 10 billion is
derived from the sale of individuals and the remainder representing the
estimate profits from the activities or goods produced by the victims of this
barbaric crime.
Apart from slavery is booming international trade and
involves both the sexes. The most important aspect of human trafficking is of
women and girls, 80 per cent of whom, as per UNDOC data, are forced into
prostitution. The other reasons for women and children being trafficked are: labour
in garment, carpet and other industries/factories/work sites; work in the
entertainment industry, including bars, massage
parlours etc; forced labour in construction sites; sex tourism; drug
trafficking; organ trade; and domestic work.
Poverty, lack of opportunities and the desire for better
existence have been the principal reasons for the increase in human trafficking
and sexual exploitation in Third World
countries. It is distressing to note
that the trafficked victim is subject to the worst form of human rights abuses---physical
violence, sexual abuse, confinement, denial of basic needs of health and
nutrition, deprivation of earnings etc.
In India,
the problem of trafficking has suddenly received much attention with even
politicians being engaged in this work. However, trafficking has been a
long-standing problem in this region, specially in countries like Nepal, Bangladesh Thailand and India. The
spread of consumerism and western life styles in society along widening
inequality among the urban and the rural sectors have accentuated the problem
at least in the Asian countries.
The problems in populous countries like India are well
known which have a stagnant rural sector with all-round poverty and squalor
very much manifest. Moreover the discrimination of the girl child has been
another aspect of the problem. Apart from the desire to make the girl child
work by the parents, the passion of
girls (generally aged between 15 to 25 years) to live a better existence
induces them to be trafficked. They generally enter the flesh trade or are used
in hotels for entertaining clients, whether in India or abroad.
It is not that girls only from the poorer sections of
society that become prone to abuse and sexual exploitation. It has been found
that girls and women from the middle or even upper class
in their quest to earn more become prone to human trafficking. In today’s
world, prostitution has attained a new dimension whereby sharing a bed is not
taboo. Thus well-off girls starting with such practise eventually become prone
to trafficking.
Meanwhile the Centre has come out with startling revelations
on child abuse, mainly of girls, according to a national survey. More than 53
per cent of children have been found to be subjected to sexual abuse in ways
that ranged from rape to kissing.
Apart from this, 69 per cent of children faced physical abuse, in most cases
(89 per cent) from parents or members of the family. These and many other
things were revealed by the 13-state survey report Study on Child Abuse:
India 2007 conducted by the Ministry of Women & Child Development in association with UNICEF, Save the Children and Prayas
and released recently. This was incidentally the first-ever nation-wide survey
on child abuse with a sample size of 12,447 children, including 5981 girls.
Delhi, by Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Assam
have been found to be the front-runners in child abuse cases. These states
showed higher physical, sexual and emotional abuse of children. In 50 per cent
of cases, the abusers were known to the child or were in a position of trust
and responsibility and most children did not report the matter. Thus it can
very well be assumed from the survey
that the children were not safe even in their homes and remain victims of
different forms of abuse.
The study also found that children in the 5 to 12 age group
reported higher levels of abuse and boys were as much at risk as girls. The
high abuse has been attributed to fathers looking at children as their
property, the patriarchal set-up of society and poor parenting skills although
no empirical research was conducted to gauge the exact reasons. But whether it
is physical or sexual abuse, most children don’t report the assaults to anyone.
Another aspect of the problem of women is abuse and sexual
violence. According to the National Family Health Survey –III, 37 per
cent married women reported abuse though one can be very sure that another
significant section do not report. The top offenders include Bihar
50 per cent, followed by Rajasthan 46.3 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 45.6 per cent,
Manipur 43.0 per cent and UP 42.4 per cent.
The question arises: how could girls be provided security?
This can come about if there is thrust on education along with not just mid-day
meal but a maintenance allowance every month, specially for those belonging to
the economically weaker sections, to help them continue with their studies. The
thrust on girls education has to be taken up with all sincerity and should
reach all backward areas of the country.
The other aspect of tackling the problem is the spread of
awareness among women and girls
about their rights. Though this has been taken up by NGOs and CBOs, there is
need for giving a boost to this campaign, including generating basic legal
awareness among the opposite sex. It
is indeed distressing to note that
in spite of setting up national and stare level women’s commissions the problem of trafficking and sexual
exploitation has remained unchecked.
More resources need to be allotted for the development of
the female child and ensuring a dignified existence for her. Recent reports
indicate how a million girls would be eliminated every year in the coming four
years because efforts have been grossly
inadequate in restraining the promotion of foetal sexing. Preference for a son
has caused hatred for a daughter in India in recent years due to the
widespread ‘legitimization’ of this form of violence against women.
The 11th Plan, which talks about inclusion needs
to give a fair deal to women, should take up various injustices committed
against girls and women and deal with them through an iron hand and also
simultaneously ensure their education and awareness
in a target-oriented approach. The NGOs and CBOs should be provided with
adequate funds so that they could make inroads into the rural and backward
areas and tackle trafficking and sexual violence against the opposite sex while
also pursuing that girls enter school in a big way.
The intervention strategies should focus on the following
areas: prevention through raising public awareness,
setting up neighbourhood watch committees for monitoring incidents of missing girls, ki dnapping/abduction
and migration, networking for information sharing and quick response to crisis
situations and providing opportunity for holistic development to children of
women in prostitution so that they are not forced to follow their mothers; securing the rights of women and children;
rescue and after-care; documentation and study; and promotion of a secure and protected
environment for women and children.---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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