The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : NGOs concerned about increase in human trafficking

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 24, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

NGOs concerned about increase in human trafficking

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, NOV. 23. Non-governmental organisations (NGO) attending the regional workshop on "Human Trafficking and Challenges Ahead," organised by Odanadi and Action against Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children (ATSEC), have expressed concern over the resurgence and alarming increase in human trafficking in recent years.

The two-day workshop, which commenced here today, will deliberate on strategies required to check trafficking and sexual exploitation of young women.

It would also deal with the challenges in the area of social, psychological and economic rehabilitation of sexually exploited women. The participants hope to formulate an action plan to curb the increasing incidence of human trafficking in south India.

Prerana, a Mumbai-based NGO working on the issue, has called for the strengthening of the voluntary sector to tackle the problem.

Stressing the need for administrative reforms to tackle trafficking, the organisation touched upon the need for professionalism, transparency, accountability, sensitisation and training of authorities in dealing with the issue.

The members of Prerana said that priority must be given to the rehabilitation of victims of sexual abuse before an investigation is taken up.

Legal reforms sought

Seeking legal reforms to curb the menace of trafficking, the NGO proposed the idea of banning employment of minors in pubs, and theatres.

The Andhra Pradesh chapter of ATSEC wanted all NGOs to be networked to ensure better redressal of the problem. The members of the chapter said that though the State was on the fast track in information technology and urban development, child trafficking was the highest in Andhra Pradesh.

Quoting the National Human Rights Report of 2001 and the USAID report, it underlined the fact that Andhra Pradesh had emerged as one of the "largest suppliers of women and children for sexual exploitation."

The members said a survey conducted by the National Commission for Women in 1997 had found that almost 40 per cent of the victims of trafficking were from Andhra Pradesh.

Aiding factors

Referring to the environmental and social factors that caused the problem, Rama Mohan, Convenor, ATSEC, Andhra Pradesh chapter, said that the situation was common in drought-prone areas or zones prone to other natural disasters. Trafficking was also markedly high in areas situated in less productive agro-climatic zones where a large number of families live below the poverty line.

Social factors such as the changing relationship between agricultural labour, small farmers and big landlords, and globalisation had left unskilled women and children vulnerable to exploitation.

The pull factors include the economic conditions of the victims and their families, the demand for domestic workers in urban centres, and the demand for child labour, as they are paid less and hence perceived to be "cheaper."

It was argued that the role of NGOs was important in minimising the crime and the meeting called for greater capacity building of NGOs.

Awareness programmes

The participants at the workshop also stressed the need for more community awareness programmes to help deal with the problem.

Ms. Mohan said that it was important to mobilise adolescent girls and form youth groups and community-based vigilance groups to educate people on how to tackle the problem.

The need to campaign with an interface with government officials, political parties, and the media was also important in weeding out the problem at the grassroots level, she said.

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