“Rescued survivors of human trafficking and their children are being stigmatised and discriminated like criminals in the society. As a result, they are facing violation, exploitation, stigma, discrimination in the civil society and they feel that “we are away from our human rights as we are not human being” and hence confined to such derogatory means of life. It is our prime responsibility to have enough care and concern over them as people of our society, protect their human rights and facilitate effective rehabilitation” Smt. T. Adilakshmi – Member of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights had called for civil society.
“Rescued survivors of human trafficking and their children are being stigmatised and discriminated like criminals in the society. As a result, they are facing violation, exploitation, stigma, discrimination in the civil society and they feel that “we are away from our human rights as we are not human being” and hence confined to such derogatory means of life. It is our prime responsibility to have enough care and concern over them as people of our society, protect their human rights and facilitate effective rehabilitation” Smt. T. Adilakshmi – Member of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights had called for civil society.
Smt. Adilakshmi has attended as a Chief Guest to the meeting and explained the efforts and initiatives by the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh.
The in-charge of NTR District Anti-Human Trafficking Unit Smt. K. Vasavi observed that, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations, every human being born on this earth is entitled to enjoy their right to live, right to respect, equality and equal protection and our India has formulated “Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 followed by the universal declaration. She urged the survivors to lead a life of dignity with self-confidence for the wellbeing of their children and their future ignoring the disquiet and feel of stigma by the people in the society.
Mr. BVS. Kumar – State Coordinator of Indian Red Cross Society stressed that violation of human rights is a crime if it is against adults or children and at anywhere. Many a number of women are entangled in to this profession because of their ill-fate and devastated socio-economic conditions and hence no one shall discriminate and stigmatise them.
Smt. N. Apurva – President of VIMUKTHI has obligated that, the state and national AIDS control societies are focusing just on the prevention of HIV/AIDS but in spite of revealing by State AIDS Control Society that there are 1.35 lakh women in prostitution, they are neglecting to address the violence, exploitation and discrimination against them and having no concern to take enough measures to facilitate free mental and physical health services as well as effective rehabilitation services to those who wish to come out this profession.
She told that, scores of sex workers are facing domestic violence in their day-to-day life which become quite common now a day. The officials are not caring in spite of the instructions issued by National Human Rights Commission in October 2020 that they shall immediately respond if there are complaints by sex workers that they are facing domestic violence by their partners.
She stressed that, the apex Court of India has issued directions that the police should not take any action against those who are adults and also those who are voluntarily in prostitution. Still they are referring them to the shelter homes by force. Those homes are like jails and the rescued women are detained coarsely in those homes. As a result, they are being kept away from their family and children for months and years long.
Smt. B. Pushpavathi – Secretary of VIMUKTHI agonised that, the Victim Compensation which is entitled to the rescued survivors by the DLSAs has become far beyond the grounds for them. Since 2016 to 2022 there were nearly 3000 women and girls have been rescued from Human Trafficking in A.P as per the statistics of National Crime Records Bureau. But only 5 survivors have availed compensation by concerned DLSA across the state.
It is sad to see that, there are 2737 survivors of human trafficking have been accommodated in the shelter homes runs under Swadhaar and Ujjawala schemes. But, at least even 10% of them have not been facilitated by the shelter homes to submit applications for Rs. 20,000/- under GO.MS. No. 28 and for Rs. 1 Lakh compensation by the DLSA.
She added that, the National Human Rights Commission has identified the sex workers as unorganised labour and issued directions to the state government to provide Aadhaar Cards, Ration Cards, Voter Cards and to open bank accounts for them so to ensure accessibility of the benefits from all the welfare schemes by the states. But, still there is no concern on these directions to the state governments.
She called up on the state government to issue new GO for formulation and implementation of Community Based Rehabilitation by retracting the existing model of institutionalisation of the rescued survivors of trafficking and victims of CSE in the shelter homes in the state. So that, the state government to ensure them to access with the benefits of welfare schemes and support services by the state.
Mr. Bhaskar – HELP, Project Coordinator, Sharmila, Kumari, Eswari, Parvathi and Jayaprada district facilitators have participated in this meeting.
About HELP:
HELP is a voluntary organisation mentoring VIMUKTHI (A State level forum of sex workers and survivors of trafficking) in its mission for socio-economic empowerment of sex workers and survivors of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation. HELP is working over two decades for the prevention of human trafficking and also protection and welfare of women and children in vulnerable conditions in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
For any clarifications please contact – Mr. Nimmaraju Ram Mohan @ 99497 23666 Mr Bhaskar – Programme Manager – HELP @ 9949688014