India hub of child trafficking in South Asia

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India hub of child trafficking in South Asia

Children are trafficked to and from states such as Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,

Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan

Published on 8/19/2009 3:50:32 PM

New Delhi: Nearly 150,000 women and children are trafficked from South Asia

every year, " most of them from, via and to India " , says a new report.

The report also underlines how the economic meltdown has heightened the risk of

child sexual exploitation, reports IANS.

India is the main destination of " alarming flows " of cross border trafficking in

South Asia, says the study by global child rights group ECPAT International,

supported by the Body Shop International.

" In India, the majority of trafficking in underage girls for sexual exploitation

happens within the country, " it says.

Children are trafficked to and from states such as Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,

Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and West

Bengal, the report says.

Titled " Their Protection is in Our Hands: The State of Global Child Trafficking

for Sexual Purposes " , the global report was made available to the media here on

Wednesday.

" Between 5,000 and 7,000 Nepalese girls are trafficked into India for sexual

exploitation every year, " it says. Children from Bangladesh and Nepal are also

trafficked into and through India to Pakistan and the Middle East, it added.

Child trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation is one of " the primary

manifestations of exploitation of children in India, which exists on a large

scale and in many forms, " the report says.

The global economic crisis has increased the risk of sexual exploitation of

children, as traffickers may lure poor families with cash, the report warns.

" Trafficking of children and young people for sexual purposes happens in

virtually every country in the world — developed and developing — and the

current economic crisis has added yet more urgency to this call, " ECPAT

Executive Director Carmen M Madrinan says.

Highlighting the factors that heighten the risk of trafficking, the report says,

" Poverty, low levels of education, lack of employment opportunities,

socio-cultural norms and circumstances, including gender and minority

discrimination " , will push children into vulnerable situations.

Deterioration in the living conditions can induce children and young people to

abandon school in order to contribute to the family income, exposing them to

harmful situations that lead to their being sexually exploited in prostitution,

child pornography and in other forms, the report says.

An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked worldwide for sexual

exploitation, including for prostitution or the production of sexually abusive

images.

The exploitation is likely to continue proliferating due to the profits

generated by sex trafficking, it warned.

The report says global profit from the trafficking of people into forced

commercial sex is estimated to be nearly US $28 billion a year.

" Almost half of these profits are estimated to come from people trafficked into

or within industrialised countries such as India. The annual profit per victim

per year can be as high as US $67,000, " the report said.

ECPAT — End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children

for Sexual Purposes — claims to be working to encourage the world community to

ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights, free and secure

from all forms of sexual exploitation.

http://www.igovernment.in/site/India-hub-of-child-trafficking-in-South-Asia/