India and Child Prostitution

Prostitution is the most documented & visible form of trafficking. But in the case of children, it is always forced prostitution and therefore must not be used interchangeably with 'sex-work', which may also be taken up voluntarily.

Their playground is the brothel, they are the playthings and toys of lust. India reportedly has the world's largest concentration of child prostitutes, accounting for 1 in every 4 of the global number. India's children are no strangers to exploitation, but none of it is as brutish as the terror to which these particularly unfortunate children have been subjected. Raped at 10, tortured and starved into submission at 11, an abortion at 12 - and sexually violated 10 times a day till age and AIDS throws them onto the streets.

The children of indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities are especially vulnerable to trafficking. They often do not share the language, educational access or even the right to citizenship of the majority population. So they lack the economic opportunities, the knowledge and the rights which could help protect them from traffickers and pimps.

Fact Sheet on Trafficking

National Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children mention :

	Victims of Commercial Exploitation in six metropolitan cities in India was 70 thousand to 1 lakh
	40% of the victims were less then 18 years at the time of induction
	70% of them are illiterate
	5% of the victims of trafficking are from Bangladesh and from Nepal
	61% of commercial sex worker in India belong to scheduled caste, other backward classes and scheduled tribes.

UNIFEM report mention: IOM estimated that the global trafficking industry generates up to US $ 8 billion each year from the "trade in human misery".

Ecpat estimated that there could be one million children under the age of 16 years in brothel across the region.

India today 1990 mentioned 500,000 girls children below 18 years are victim of trafficking in India.

Common Characteristics of the Victims of Trafficking

Important Trafficking Routes

Click here to view the important routes used for the trafficking of children.

SLARTC and Child Trafficking

In the face of this dismal scenario, SLARTC tries to bring back their childhood and also enable them to mainstream with the society. SLARTC is working in the juvenile homes and taking up cases for repatriation, counselling and legal help. These include intra and inter-country trafficking. Importance is given to make people aware of the vicious circle of violence and discrimination, rather than having a moral approach.

The following are the main thrusts of SLARTC's activities

	Restoration
	Individual and group counselling
	Family counselling
	Repatriation
	Free legal aid service
	Liaison and work with judiciary, police personnel, panchayats, etc.
	Networking with stakeholders
	Training and capacity building
	Workshops and seminars
	Networking with NGOs across the borders
	Documentation and formation of IEC materials