discussion:UNIFEM's AHT prvention programmes

From: Ramamohan NVS [mailto:helpap@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 2:20 PM
To: Gender Community
Subject: Re: [se-gen] Discussion: UNIFEM's Anti-Human Trafficking Prevention Programme. Reply by 06 October 2010

Dear All,

We would like to share with you Anti trafficking initiatives and current scenario in Andhra Pradesh (AP).

We are so happy to hear that the Gender Community has taken up for discussion the issue on Human Trafficking. In this context, we would like to bring to your kind notice that HELP’s core focus is on advocacy and lobbying and to work against Human Trafficking. HELP has promoted a network with 45 partner NGOs called NATSAP (Network Against Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation in Andhra Pradesh). Formerly, we worked with UNIFEM on human trafficking in Coastal AP over a period of two years. As a part of this program, we carried out several activities against human trafficking and prevention of second generation from being trafficked.

HELP initiated the formation of community vigilance groups in some of the red-light areas of coastal AP. As a result, we succeeded in preventing new entries in to red light areas. We feel happy to mention that the Government of AP replicated the same mechanism i.e. formation of community vigilance groups in all the areas by involving Anganwadi worker as convener. (The State Government released a memo No. 1457/A1/05 Dt.25/02/05). Since there is no proper follow up on the reinforcement of mechanisms, and timely review by higher authorities to make appropriate changes in implementation of above memo, there is no data collection from the villages. At present so-called committees are also not functional.

In the year 2007, the police department took the trafficking issue as a top priority and trained the police personnel with the expertise of HELP and Prajwala on Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA) and Trafficking issues with the support of UNODC. As a result, the number of rescue operations was more during that year; consequently, more girls were rescued, and more traffickers and customers were arrested.

	Guntur			Krishna			Prakasam
	2007	2008	2009	2007	2008	2009	2007	2008	2009
No. of cases registered	72	27	9	50	33	33	18	16	3
No. of victims rescued	130	47	8	73	32	35	22	22	4
No. of Traffickers arrested	199	59	23	108	72	97	23	14	6
No. of customers arrested	27	26	2	30	16	36	12	0	3

Source: CID of Police, AP

All the agencies working against trafficking felt it was a good sign and there will be increase in conducting rescue operations and more traffickers will be convicted. UNODC’s support was however for two years, following which there was lack of (police) interest on the core objective; moreover, there were also transfers of the police officials as well as station officers. The above table also shows that rescue operations came down. Further, the total cases registered in Guntur district since 2007 – 2009 are 108, out of which 63 are acquitted, 41 cases are pending in trial and only 18 (11 females and 7 males) persons convicted in 4 cases. In Prakasam district, of the 37 cases, 11 cases are acquitted and 9 persons got convicted in 4 cases. (In other words, the traffickers are continuing their activities).

Victims/Witness support

We would also like to draw attention that even though cases have been registered, the victims and the witnesses are not attending courts. The police are unaware of the whereabouts of the victims, as the victims usually give wrong addresses at the time of rescue. Due to insufficient budgetary allocation for the travel of the police to trace the victims and due to the heavy workload of the court constables, the police tend to submit to the court a statement stating that the victims are not available. The witnesses also are unwilling to present themselves, as they have to lose their wages for the day.

In most cases, the police send the survivors to their home places without conducting home investigation, after rescue operations. Andhra Pradesh is the first state in the country to have launched an immediate relief package to the tune of Rs.10, 000 for each survivor. However, most of them cannot utilize this scheme as they are sent to their places immediately after rescue. For want of livelihood, the survivors are likely to get back to prostitution. In our experience, the police does not follow and honor the protocols during pre and post rescue operations. The rights of the survivors are not protected. This violation makes the survivors to lose their faith in the police (and they do not cooperate with the police during further investigations). For these reasons, the traffickers are able to continue their activities. (On the other hand, trafficked cases are registered only after rescue operations, and not after the girls are found trafficked. The number of missing/trafficking cases registered is very low either due to unwillingness of the victim families to report to the police for fear of stigma or lack of faith in the police).

Many traffickers not arrested

Another aspect we would like to highlight is, when a rescue operation is held, it is usual to arrest both brothel owner and pimp at demand areas (where the girl is rescued). However, source area traffickers are not arrested; the trafficker who resides at source area stands on safe side. (Thus, when rescued girls are reunified with families by the police/NGOs, they can again be re-trafficked by the trafficker at source area).

HIV Prevention

One more observation we would like to make is regarding Community Based Organizations (CBOs), which emphasize/demand for the legalization of the sex work. Some of the organizations support the legalization movement in the name of HIV prevention. In our view, one of the significant reasons for the spread of nexus of the traffickers (all over the state) is the fact that the government has focused more on the prevention of the further spread of HIV/AIDS. Apparently, the police have been directed not to conduct too many raids on red light areas, as the women in prostitution would then run away from their places. In such a case, they cannot access condoms, and it is feared that they would cause HIV/AIDS! There are 13 or 14-year-old girls at prostitution localities or red light areas but there are no efforts to rescue those minor girls. (If the police is put under pressure not to commit raids because the fear of organizations (working on HIV prevention) prevails, which argue that the girls will abandon these places and cause HIV, it is more likely to put the police in a dilemma! More so, as their training on trafficking focuses on preventing it, but they experience something different on the field, which seem to impede their actions)

Other Major Reasons (Increase in Trafficking)

· Even if the rescued victims are sheltered at Government homes (Swadhar and Ujwala), there are no trained counselors on trauma management. Quality counseling services too are not in place in most homes

· There are no linkages between source area NGOs and destination area NGOs. The reason for this is that only a few NGOs are working on trafficking issues. (Establish linkages with destination area NGOs and facilitate sharing of information between them and source area NGOs to ensure good coordination between them. The NGOs conduct home investigations and submit the reports to the destination agencies. They do not follow up reunification, reintegration and other support service mechanisms)

· Likewise, the coordination among Women Development, Child Welfare, Juvenile Welfare Departments and Law enforcement agencies is not encouraging

· There is no efficient mechanism in place to conduct home investigations (The girls rescued are to be produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) by the police. The CWC will order for home investigation and refer the survivors to transit Homes and rehabilitation services. However, the police, in majority cases, do not produce the victims before the CWC)

· There are no victim/witness protection services; the victims are therefore, threatened / blackmailed by the perpetrators and are re-trafficked

· Lack of adequate and consistent advocacy efforts

· Human trafficking is unfortunately not a priority of the state

Proposed Interventions

As per our experience in the field we propose the following interventions:

· Victims witness protection services

· Support to more transit centers with efficient counselors, legal support services, and vocational/skill trainings

· Continuous trainings for police personnel (for station level officers )

· Training for judicial officers (magistrates on ITPA and Juvenile Justice Act)

· Ensure speedy disposal of trafficking cases

· Record the witness within the 3 months of rescue

· Ensure the improvement of conviction rate

· Re-establishment of Regional Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUS)

· Conduct rescue operations on regular basis

· Build linkages between police and Child Welfare Committees

· Formation and strengthening of Community Vigilance Groups (CVGs) at village level (for prevention of trafficking/abuse/sexual exploitation and to prevent re-trafficking of rescued victims)

· Formation, networking and strengthening of groups among victims

· Provide vocational and life skill trainings to the second generation

· Provide education support /residential education support for second generation children

· Legal awareness among women in prostitution

· Protection of second generation (children of women in prostitution)

· Ensure appropriate rehabilitation packages for rescued victims

Thank you.

Ramamohan NVS, on behalf of

Network Against Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation in Andhra Pradesh (NATSAP) & HELP

Ongole/Andhra Pradesh