The process of illegal transporting and transfer below the age of 18 years for the purpose of exploitation is known as Child Trafficking. This problem is prevalent in most developing countries due to porous borders and weak domestic laws to counter the issue. There are various causes of child trafficking like lack of employment, poverty, low level of education, a breakdown of social structure, etc. child trafficking is a violation of the mental and physical integrity of a child. Child trafficking is very dynamic, with the traffickers employing new methods every day to lure a child away from his home and then sell him in the market. Child trafficking includes physical and sexual violence, and it violates the right of a child to grow up in a healthy environment. In India too, the number of such incidences have gone up, although the exact figures are not known.[1]
According to a report published by the U.S. Department of State, “India is a source, destination and transit country for men, women and children subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking…The majority of India’s trafficking problem is internal, and those from the most disadvantaged social strata- lowest caste Dalits, members of tribal communities, religious minorities and women and girls from excluded groups – are most vulnerable.[2]
The 2012 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons released by United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) has revealed that 27 per cent of all victims of human trafficking officially detected globally between year 2007 and 2010 are children. Child trafficking either happens for sex trade or for child labour. Another big area of concern is the gender skewing among missing children, as the MHA data reveals. Over 2010-2014, out of the 3.85 lakh children who went missing across the country, 61% were girls. For example, the number of missing girls in the state of Andhra Pradesh stands at a shocking 11,625 as against 6,915 missing boys (The Times of India). These girls are often forced into prostitution and begging rackets and are destined for a life of child abuse and exploitation.[3]
International Instruments ratified by India
India is a signatory to the Anti-Trafficking Protocol. The protocol was signed by India on 12th of December, 2012. This is a huge step forward towards eliminating the trafficking of human beings. This protocol not only seeks to prevent trafficking and protecting the victims, but it also has provisions to punish the traffickers. India has also ratified the Suppression of Traffic of Person and Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, 1949, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
India is also a party to the two protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Convention on the involvement of a child in armed conflicts.
• On the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution.
India has also ratified the Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution, which has been introduced by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in 2002.[4]
CONCLUSION –
Human trafficking is a very sensitive issue and to address the issue a comprehensive strategy is needed. The aim of the government should be towards social reintegration and rehabilitations of the victims. The need of the hour is to enact more stringent laws. At present, the sanctions against the issue of trafficking are very lenient. Human Right Activist and NGOs fight a very tough battle against the problem without much support from the government. The crisis is too big for the Human Rights Activists and NGOs to tackle alone. The government should also address the issue in a much more dynamic manner. There is also an urgent need to unify the procedures and the laws to tackle the problem. Cooperation at the regional and the national level will also help the legislature to introduce laws which are at par with international standards.
[1] https://blog.ipleaders.in/child-trafficking-india/
[2] www.state.gov
[3] https://www.cry.org/issues-views/child-trafficking#:~:text=Child%20trafficking%20is%20a%20serious%20problem%20that%20is%20prevalent%20especially%20in%20India.&text=These%20girls%20are%20often%20forced,to%20be%20forced%20into%20labour.
[4] https://blog.ipleaders.in/child-trafficking-india/
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