The Hindu : Front Page : Move to check trafficking in women

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 23, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Move to check trafficking in women

R Vimal Kumar

University to form watchdog panels in Tirunelveli, Tuticorin districts

Tuticorin: The Manonmaniam Sundaranar University will form 70 "village-level watchdog committees" in Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts in April.

The panels, formed under a project of the Department of Social Defence, will check trafficking in women and children and fight sexual exploitation.

As many as 30 panels will function in Tuticorin district and the rest in Tirunelveli district.

Speaking to The Hindu here on Thursday, X. Rosary Mary, Director, Department of Youth Welfare at the university, said each of the committees would have six members.

The panchayat president and the village administrative officer would act as the ex-officio chairman and the convener respectively.

The other members include a headmaster of either a high school or an elementary school in the region, a representative from the local police station, a social activist belonging to a non-governmental organisation in the village/area and a member of a self-help group.

The committee members would closely watch the movement of children and women in the locality.

"An orientation programme will be conducted for the committee chairmen and members about child rights, juvenile justice and methods to prevent trafficking. It will be funded by the United Nations Development Programme," she said.

Three resource persons, trained under Madhava Somasundaram, Head of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the university, would take classes for the chairmen and other members between April 15 and May 15 in a phased manner.

They would explain to the committee members their role and function of creating awareness in their villages against trafficking, Ms. Mary said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page