The most effective model to stop trafficking of women in sex work

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

According to the UNODC " India Among Top Human Trafficking Destinations in South

Asia, with over 35,000 young girls and women from Bangladesh and Nepal being

brought into the country every year "

The report goes on detailing the UN concern and efforts to stop trafficking of

girls and women, but it does not clear when and how they obtain all this

information, which they claim to be the picture of the present situation.

However being engaged in anti-trafficking programme in West Bengal for the last

12 years we know the inner workings/strategies of the traffickers.

Certainly no amount of seminars and awareness generating programme would reduce

it even a bit, it calls for other measures and mechanism.

UN Programme seems to spot the key in the lighted zone, instead of where the key

is really lost.

We do not know what should we call it - naïve or hypocritic or idiotic! The call

of Bollywood stardom would inspire traffickers to stop trafficking!

Without people's participation trafficking can not be stopped - our Self

Regulatory Board (SRB) is the conclusive example of this.

Throughout West Bengal we are presently running 30 SRBs. This is sex workers'

initiative to stop trafficking in sex work and in our working sites trafficking

is becoming increasingly hard and the trend is reducing.

How it is possible? Because of sex workers' participation, for they can

immediately identify a new comer and can check out whether she is willing come

here or trafficked.

In case of being trafficked she is rescued and either rehabilitated or sent back

to her house. Before their collective force nobody can retain the girl or the

women in the sex work.

Moreover we could successfully involve the local stakeholders and police and

thus developed a strong network, whose vigilance a trafficker however well

connected he/she may be, can not escape.

Upto December 2006 we rescued 474 girls and women from the sex work sites, out

of which 400(84.39%) were below 18.

So to stop trafficking it requires to develop a space and to facilitate people's

participation, specially marginalized ones, in both the destination and source

areas.

That's what our experience and success conclusively prove.

DMSC, Kolkata

e-mail: <dmsc_taah@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

Re: /message/7959

Before anybody starts pointing fingers at UNODC and other agencies who are

genuinely working on anti-trafficking by calling them names, they need to first

of all question their own self. All available data with our partner

organisations in Kolkotta shows that minor and adult trafficking is a living

reality in Sonagachi.

I cannot comment on this so called self regulatory board as I have no clue who

are in the board. The women? the brothel madam? the pimp? the broker? Not sure

who, from the high handed claims made there should not be any trafficking in

West Bengal at all, least of all in Sonagachi.

Just out of curiosity for the 400 odd rescued, how many cases have been booked

against traffickers who were trafficking these girsl? or does that not come

under the preview of the SRB or is it difficult to penalise one among them?

And finally trafficking is not just the problem of some SRB's in WB or Andhra

Pradesh it is the nation's problem. It is a problem of each and every concerned

citizens who believes such human rights violation should not be tolerated and if

representatives from popular culture such as Bollywood come forward in

solidarity I fail to understand what is the problem.

One last question should seminars/conference/meets be organised only to promote

the so called entertainment workers and celebrities be invited only for such

meets?

My personal feeling is the collective show strength of the anti-trafficking

brigade in the UN GIFT conference is definitely rattling many. I wonder WHY?

In solidarity with those who are fighting against trafficking.

Dr Sunitha Krishnan

Prajwala

www.prajwalaindia.com

e-mail: <sunitha_2002@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Re: /message/7959

DMSC (DURBAR) of West Benga is doing an admirable job through its Self

Regulatory Boards in saving many traficked girls and women from being coerced

into a miserable life of prostitution.

But, their wide experience so far must have provided them so far with

lots of clues regarding the loopholes in India's legal systems for preventing

trafficking and the corruptions among the govrnment official engaged in

implmenting the laws ment for its prevention.

The DMSC should make the best advange of these clues by making the general

public aware of them and demaning apprprite actions from the government for

minnmising the social menace.

Moni Nag, New York

e-mail: <mn1925@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

Greetings from SANLAAP, India!!

Re: /message/7959

I hope our point of view is only able to add some more clarity to the

thought processes that Sunitha (our friend from PRAJWALA) has initiated to this

forum. Here goes:

- Working in Kolkata for the past two decades, we have realised that

despite all claims made by the SRB, trafficking is only increasing and more so

in the Sonagachi area. We wish these claims made by DMSC were a reality and

actually lives were being saved. But unfortunately that is NOT the case.

- The rate of conviction in cases of trafficking is rather poor across

South Asia... Its the same in India and in Kolkata as well. This is to say that

the SRB is probably missing out on the complete picture and thereby not focusing

on Prosecution at all. We (SANLAAP) are probably one of the only organisations

in this region who are looking at this crucial element of Prosecution and the

SRB (before its claims) must look at the same immediately.

- The world has accepted that there is a need to challenge the demand

side because demand initiates supply and thereby gives rise to trafficking.

Is the SRB listening? Shouldn't the SRB start looking at curbing of the demand

side? We feel they should.

And what about the exploiters? The customers? The families who live of young

women and children in prostitution?

- And may we remind one and all that trafficking does not happen only

for prostitution or commercial sexual exploitation.

What about bonded labour? What about child brides? Are we never going to

acknowledge these hidden groups?

Even within prostitution, probably 85% of it happens beyond Red Light Districts.

How does the SRB claim to protect them?

This is to reiterate that before we become judgemental about the UN-GIFT

Initiative we must self assess as to what our role is and how much have we

really achieved? All of us.

The GIFT Campaign is only initiated by the UN and is not owned by it.

GIFT is a gift for all UN Agencies, International and National Civil Society

Organisations, Governments, Artist's Forums, Corporate Houses and to one and all

who would want to fight trafficking.

Does the DMSC initiated SRB count itself out of this battle?

Is everyone listening?

May we win in our battle against trafficking... May we win soon... Because if it

is NOW or NEVER. The question is are we together?

On behalf of all of us at *SANLAAP*...

_______________________

*Ms. Indrani Sinha

Executive Director

SANLAAP*

38B Mahanirban Road

Calcutta 700029

Ph: +91 33 27021287

Fax: +91 33 28400286

E-mail: indrani.sanlaap@...

www.sanlaapindia.org

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Re: /message/7959

Thank you so much Ms. Sinha's well thought and well articulated mail on human

trafficking issues. I enjoyed it.

I have got some direct questions for Ms. Sinha. I highly appreciate their

replies from Ms. Sinha's side.

You have written that ‘Shouldn't the SRB start looking at curbing of the demand

side?’ What kind of ‘demand’ you are referring to? Demand for women for having

sex? My question is how can you curb that demand which is so biological,

universal and obviously NATURAL? One answer may be ‘mass scale castration of the

sexually active male community’.

Do you think that as a feasible solution to curb demand? Or you have some other

thing to share with to curb demand?

You mentioned in your mail ‘Even within prostitution, probably 85% of it happens

beyond Red Light Districts’. Definitely SRB is not in the right position to

intervene trafficking beyond the limit of Red Light Areas.

My question is, what SANLAP is doing in this regards? What are your strategies

to stop trafficking at the point of ‘origin’ and ‘transit’? Do you have any best

practices? Please make us learned.

I strongly support your views on the overall human trafficking which also

includes issues of child labor and bonded labor. But you remain quiet after

throwing those burning issues to the forum. Why you kept yourself refrained from

any further comments?

Trafficking is a very big and big problem. It has got huge political

implications because it is directly related to many critical aspects of

socio-economic developments like poverty, unemployment, conflict situation,

illiteracy and lack of adequate legal and administrative protection for the

common people in many areas of many third world countries. And that gradually

makes humans easy commodities to use and enjoy like animals.

It never has an easy solution and whatever anti-trafficking activities are being

conducted by organizations like yours and others (they are extremely

praiseworthy no doubt) probably they are much less than sufficient to make an

substantial impact because the problem is so deep rooted and multidimensional.

But under such situation and within lot of limitations I do believe SRB of

Durbar is really doing a good job because they try to address the problem

strategically and by fully appreciating limitations of their scopes of

interventions.

Ms Sinha, if you expect SRB to solve the problem of human trafficking to sex

industry overnight may be you are severely mistaken. In stead of criticizing SRB

for their limitations why not you and your organization move forward to bridge

their gaps and support their efforts of anti –trafficking under a joint venture?

Don’t you think fragmented efforts do basically make no sense to curb

trafficking?

If you really want to make real noticeable impact please work together with all

other organizations involved in anti-trafficking movements and activities in

your state under some strategic collaboration to intervene jointly at the level

of origin, transit and destination levels through mutual assistance and support.

There is no harm actually to forget for the time being the organizational

differences; after all both SRB and you are fighting for the common noble cause.

All the best to your excellent efforts to curb trafficking,

Waiting for your kind reply,

Best Regards,

Nilim

Nilim Gera Gangopadhyay

Bangkok, Thailand

e-mail: <nilim_g4@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

/message/7959

Unfortunately this is now becoming a discussion for and against the

self-regulatory board of the DMSC. May I bring the discussion back to the issue

of trafficking of adult women and young girls?

The issues are complex. Sex workers and non-sex workers who believe in

upholding human rights fight against coercion, force, deception, slavery like

practice, debt-bondage etc.

Since sex workers have to live within the " community, " be it a geographical one

like a brothel or a meta physical one like being part of a loose group, e.g.

`floating sex workers' they have a better grasp of violators and violations than

" outsiders " who can see and identify the violations but may not have an

insider's knowledge of the system.

The difference is that sex workers have to fight internally both for survival as

well as against the violations but non-sex workers have the privilege of

fighting the violations externally.

In the fight for survival in this `community' sex workers have to engage

violators not in their capacity as traffickers but as friends, family and/or

friends of family members Community relationships and the complex manner in

which they can result in violations are part of an everyday reality.

Is it easy to address the complex relationships and work with your own people

who are known community violators and stop the violations? I think the sex

worker movement has really tried.

In our experience with VAMP, we find that change happens when the community

comes together, identifies the violation and the violator, and either seeks

resolution from within the community or with assistance from outsiders.

Besides, many times I find that what I define as a violation is not the

perception of the community. We then have to work toward a common

understanding of the violation itself. All this is problematic to say the least.

Non-sex workers working with or in these communities must be willing to spend

the time necessary to come to a place of common understanding.

They must recognize that they are often at a disadvantage as " outsiders " .

Non-sex workers may have to forego deep convictions about sex work in order to

make conversation possible.

Non sex workers will have to accept that the community can actually identify and

address violations they face-- with or without outside help.

History has recorded that generations of outsiders and outside interventions

have tried but have failed miserably. Can we now

please give a new paradigm, be it the SRB or the VAMP mohalla committees, a

chance, recognizing and encouraging even their smallest successes?

Are you willing to accept that outsiders are also part of the oppressive system

that is judgmental of the relationship of the violator and the violated?

Meena Saraswathi Seshu

SANGRAM/VAMP.

Supriya Pillai

International Women's Health Coalition [ IWHC]

e-mail: <sangram.vamp@...>

[Guest guest]

Greetings from SANLAAP, India!

Re: /message/7959

VIMUKTHI is a network of VOCSET (Victims of Commercial Sexual

Exploitation and Trafficking) CBO's across Andhra Pradesh. It has

been very active in undertaking the consultations on the issues

faced by the VOCSET and very instrumental in collectivization and

Networking of CBOs (women in prostitution) across the coastal

districts. It has gained momentum after the initiation of HELP,

NATSAP through its constant support for different issues.

It is surprising the way these so called Self Regulatory Board -

DMSC, Kolkatta comment on the activities of UNODC and other agencies

working seriously on the issues of victims of Trafficking. may be

these SRB donot observe the out side world as well as their own

internal structure. it is clearly evident for any outsider that

majority of the members in this board are entirely depending on the

prostitution.

these SRBs must open their eyes and shall realise that most of the

rescue operation in Andhra Pradesh are being done jointly with the

police, NGOs and VOCSET (VIMUKTI members). after UNODC started their

intervention in AP lot of changes taken place in every nook and

corner of the state. the police got sensitised about the issues of

VOCSET as well as understanding better about the victims of the

prostituion and started respecting them. even the general public

started reacting towards the issues of the vocset due to the lot of

efforts putforth by govt of AP,Police, Judiciary, NATSAP and its

alies.

the combined efforts of the above agencies, due to the efforts of

UNODC resulted in registering 476 cases, from jan to august 2007. in

this cases 787 women were rescued of which 108 were minors. 1029

traffikers and 335 customers were arrested. eight lodges were sized

alone in Guntur district. these figures are available with state

police department. this is way above the achieved in the previous

two years in AP.

how could any one achieve this much success without conducting

seminors and awarnessgeneration programmes to the police, media and

policy makers and planners.

in the Saksham programme in East Godavari - Andhra Pradesh promoted

by Mr.Jana, who happend to be the founder and adviser to DMSC which

formed SRB with full of pimps and brokers/madams was a big failure.

how is it possible for any one to address the issue of VOCSET and

child trafficking when they themselves are the part of trafficking.

pl recollect our recent exposure visit to the DMSC we raised the

following questions at the time of the visit but could not get any

answers from you.

1. we have observed many minor girls in and around sonagachi

involved in the prostitution, why could you not prevent the entry of

these minor girls into prostitution?

2. we asked for the proofs related to your rescue operations such as

(viz).. no.of traffickers arrested and convicted? copies of FIR?

sections under which they were booked? ........for which we had no

answers

3. you said that if you find any minors entering into sonagachi you

will send them back to their houses... if you were so dedicated to

prevent trafficking then why dont you complain the same in the local

police stations and try for the arrest of traffickers and for their

convections?

4.you have mentioned the participation of people(vocset) in

preventing the trafficking. but how many of your DMSC board members

are still continueing in the prostitution ? it is clearly evident

that the board members of the DMSC are hanging around for ages to

the board without giving an oppourtunity for the women in

prostitution to take part in the governing body.

regarding sex workers participation...... you said that sexworkers

participation can make it possible to identified the new commers

into the bussiness and to say whether they are trafficked are will

ful...... if this is the case due you really think that a women

working under a pimp, broker or madam can vouch for some one else

when she hereself canot speek for her own. how is it possible for

some one, controled by a huge network of traffickers,brokers and

madams to comeout and complain/inform about the new entry in to the

prostitution?

do you think that it is OKAY, if any girl below 16 enters the

profession willingly, you should remember that it is illigal to

entertain such children as well as it is consider as trafficking as

per the law ? this only reflects the amount of dedication you have

in controlling the trafficking/fighting for the issue of vocset.!

you shall realise that like minded NGOs,networks and Govt of AP

along with policy makers and policy planners had allready created

space for the VOCSET to participate and vouch for themselves.

we strongly support the statements given by Dr.Sunita - Prajwala and

Ms. Indrani - SANLAAP and thank them for thier efforts in fighting

for the prevetion of trafficking. we personnely feel that the UN-

GIFT conference diffently created hope in us and will make concreate

steps for prevention of trafficking in Asia in genaral and india in

particular.

we stand by those who are committed for prevention of trafficking.

with regards

Smt.Radha

Convenor - VIMUKTHI (The comrade of survivors)

Rama Mohan.NVS

Convenor - NATSAP

e-mail: <help_org2002@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum Members,

Re: /message/7959

I agree with SANLAAP'S view that exploiter has to be prosecuted and demand side

has be intervened. I find it defficult to understand that if SRB is working

towards preventing minor entry in to the prostitution then how come numbers of

minors being rescued from the brothel?

How come numbers of minor being lured from this part of the region (North East)?

SRB need to be more carefull before they claim themselves anything on prevention

of minor in to prostitution and other forms of exploitation.

Our experience in rescuing numbers of North East girls in various part of the

country proved that demand of minor has increased therefore exploiter who ever

they may be should be behind the prison.

We have come together and shown our solidarity in UN-GIFT to eradicate the

modern day slavery and to make the society we live free and dignified.

In Solidarity

Digambar Narzary

NEDAN FOUNDATION

BTC, Assam, North East

e-mail: <nedan_ne@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Re: /message/7959

Thanks for Nilim' questions. The following should be helpful:

- With regard to understanding of our organisation may we please

request you to kindly visit our website at www.sanlaapindia.org This

would be a good starting point for you to know what we are doing. I am sure

you'd also be able to learn about the emerging good practices that we are

engaged in as an organisation. In case you have further queries, you are welcome

to get back to us.

With regard to your understanding of our statement ofn DEMAND... We

are referring to male demand of women and girl children as commodities in the

flesh market. What ever terminology used this is complete violation of human

rights. Think of yourself at the receiving end... Think of a world where anyone

would have the luxury of buying or selling your body because of your lack of

opportunities and options.

We are referring to that demand of male clientele (read exploitation) that has

become a social norm. This must change. And you must be with us in facilitating

this change. Change within change within your immediate set-up of family and

friends and then of course change in the communities that you have impact over.

I am sure you are man enough to facilitate this change address this demand.

Please understand that Prostitution is not about women and their need to have

sex. It is men who have the need to have sex with women and children and an

entire market system that exists to support this human rights violation.

Women and Children are not up for sale... They cannot be... They are human

beings and this is Modern Day Slavery that must STOP.

With regard to all the efforts that has been done within the paradigm of

Trafficking for Child Labour and Bonded Labour please visit the website of our

partner organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan (url www.bba.org) and you'll have a

lot of information.

With regard to SANLAAP's effort in working with DMSC's SRB... We are

working in tandem. If we look at Trafficking and Commercial Sexual

Exploitation as an issue we are working together against the exploitation of

women and children. We may not have a formal MoU with DMSC but we work in tandem

and have been doing so for ever.

Thanks for your interest. Shubho Bijoya.

__________________________

Ms. Indrani Sinha

Executive Director

SANLAAP*

38B Mahanirban Road

Calcutta 700029

Ph: +91 33 27021287

Fax: +91 33 28400286

E-mail: indrani.sanlaap@...

www.sanlaapindia.org

[Guest guest]

Re: /message/7959

Dear Members,

Since the last few days I have been following the mails sent by eminent

personalities expressing concerns, suggesting strategies to

tackle and the bottle necks that they had encountered while

addressing the issue.

I am amazed that some members are trying to showcase triumphs by rescue and

various intervention programmes. Others were suggesting various aspects of the

issue that’s needs urgent attention in order to curb the menace.

My reason for writing this is not to give any suggestions but for a simple

plea. I am a young development professional, was involved with the issue of

human trafficking for about two years. Those two years of my life broke my

illusion, how the issue is being addressed in India (I have no idea how other

organizations working across border) in terms of rescued victims.

My close encounter with those victims being treated by the

rescue/rehabilitating organization/s is utter disgusting.

Most of them end up being showpieces in national and international

conferences, to generate funds, and for publicity. After those

aspects are fulfilled they are discarded. Repatriated to their

native place without follow-ups and most of them are (probable) re-

trafficked.

Members are suggesting that all the organizations working on the

issue should work together. But why there is so much enmity amongst

organizations working on the same issue?

Here I would also like to request UN bodies, funding organizations

addressing the issue. Please…please develop some strong follow-up

systems of the repatriated victims as well as those victims who are

still in shelter home on what type of counselling they are being

given, life skill training ( should not be beauty culture training,

candle making). I think its high time all should work together.

Hope I have not offended any members if yes plese forgive me.

Regards

Anonymous

[Guest guest]

Dear Young Anonymous Friend,

Re: /message/8007

No you have not offended anyone but in case you want to share your concern and

show us our mistakes. I would like to learn from you.

Please do not stay anonymous, but come out and work with us, show us our

mistakes. I do not know who you worked with but I work with at least 200 girls

at a point of time.

I have good and bad experiences which I would like to share with you.

At a young age please do not be so frustrated and stay away. When I am

working for such a long time and many have witnessed and experienced our work

from all over the worls and also from this country, I am sure it is not totally

wrong. Hence, please share your bad experiences with us.

Your senior friend,

Indrani Sinha

Sanlaap

38B Mahanirban Road

Calcutta 700029

Ph: +91 33 27021287

Fax: +91 33 28400286

E-mail: indrani.sanlaap@...

www.sanlaapindia.org