Inauguration of web portal : stop trafficking

[Guest guest]

Inauguration of web portal

www.stoptrafficking.in

To combat human trafficking and for better service delivery in India

NGO, Arz ( Anyay Rahit Zindagi) in collaboration with the Women and

Child Development, Government of Goa launched a web portal

www.stoptrafficking.in in Goa on the 5th of March.

The web portal was inaugurated by Mr. V.P. Rao, Secretary, W & CD, Goa in the

presence of Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission, Mumbai,

Chairperson State Commission for Child Rights Protection and government and

non-government organizations from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and

Goa. The web portal aims to achieve the following:

Tracing missing persons by using information technology such as SMS

alerts, e-mails.

Data bank (phone numbers & email addresses) of individual and

organizations working to combat trafficking of women and children in India.

State wise details of Child Welfare Committee (CWCs), Juvenile Justice Boards

(JJBs)

Mass Awareness Generation & Information Sharing (MAGIS) through sending alerts

in the form of Short Message Services (SMSs) & Emails

Schemes & provisions of central & state governments and non-government

organizations.

The web portal is first of its kind in India. It is primarily a network of

stakeholders – government organizations, non-government

organizations, academia, civil society, victims and the media - to

smoothen the service delivery and to gain knowledge.

During the inauguration of the web portal, Arz director Arun Pandey

shared that, the website will help government agencies coordinate better among

themselves and with NGOs in India. " The contact details of the Juvenile Justice

Board and Child Welfare Committee in other states are not easily available. So

how do these agencies or the superintendent of a home repatriate the child to

his/her family? We hope that using this portal will help them, " said Pandey.

Speaking at the launch, Women and Child Secretary Mr. V P Rao said,

" This web portal could hopefully reduce the instances of failed cases in the

courts, owing to the inability of the police and authorities to trace the

victims once they are rehabilitated. "

According to Rao, several cases have resulted in acquittal as the

victim, once repatriated, couldn't be traced and hence couldn't testify in

court. " A victim of abuse has to be rehabilitated as early as possible, but

cases keep dragging on for years. With this technology, we hope we can trace the

rehabilitated victims in time.

This will ensure that they depose in court, so that their abusers and

perpetrators are punished, " Rao added.

Apart from integrating government agencies, NGOs and the criminal

justice system, the portal also directly aims to help trafficked

victims. " We hope that the portal will assist in the increase in the

number of rescues, successful rehabilitation of the victims and increase the

prosecution of the traffickers, " said Pandey.

The organizers shared that, “the success of the portal rests completely on the

service providers, both government and non-government.

They need to share the information about their services and contact detail by

writing to info@... to enable the victims and the organizations

to contact for services.

Mariette

Mariette Correa

e-mail: <mariettec@...>