WOMEN TRAFFICKING: A CHALLENGE TO WOMEN S RIGHTS IN INDIA Prof. Nirmala H.P Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Government First Grade College, Hukkeri Karnataka State. Dr. Yoganarasimhachari Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Govt College(Autonomous), Mandya, Karnataka State INTRODUCTION Human rights are violated not only by unjust acts but also by unjust national and international structure. Violation of rights are not simply individual acts of violence. Human Rights is lot a new issue and has no as been taken by all in a much broader sense but there are various aspects of human rights. Along with disarmament and development human rights are essential part of the total and holistic peace and human dignity. The unequal status of women being offensive to human dignity and also violative of human rights has emerged today as a fundamental crisis in human development all over the world. Human rights are derived from the dignity and worth inherent in the human being. These human rights are fundamental freedoms which have been reiterated by the universal declaration of Human Rights, Democracy and development. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are interrelated and have mutual reinforcement. The human rights for women including girl child are therefore inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. The human rights of the women are being violated in many fields of life. So the object of present research paper is to find out some mechanisms and develop new strategies to empower women who are also human beings as men and creative and equal partner in the future transformation of our societies and whose contribution to give birth to human beings/belongs are more painful, significant and greater than men. IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN: The woman is another name of earth (Dhartimata), who, as a mother, is Supreme Being and Guru. She plays a role of mother, sister and daughter. She starts human and social life. We website: www.indusedu.org, email id:- editorindus@gmail.com Page 9
started our human and social life from her. The women are mistresses of half of the country. They are life partners and co-travelers of men in the creation of life and progress of the society. They represent nearly (49 per cent) half the population of the mankind. They are part of the society and nation. They are part of the development of the country. Without them the development is not possible. A family is not happy and strong until the woman enacts the important role of mother, housewives or daughters. They give birth to human beings while facing many problems, hardships and difficulties and nurture and educate them. They are the first teacher of their children in the beginning of life. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: During the Vedic period, the women enjoyed all sorts of necessary rights which are essential for a human being. Women had access to all branches of learning and enjoyed a position at par with men. Women played an important role in religious ceremonies. They had all the opportunities to pursue education including studies of Vedas and were even eligible for upanayana. Even during Kautilya s time women lived with dignity. In the later Vedic period, women were treated as Bonded laborers like slave. The social status of women was undismined. Many restrictions were imposed on them and they were deprived of many basic human rights. After ages of suffering, suppression and enslavement, the new hope dawned in the lives of women with the introduction of British period in India. Father of social revolution Mahatma Jyotiba Phule worked hard for the abolition of Sati system. MEANING OF TRAFFICKING: Trafficking in women is a long standing issue globally. The term trafficking was not precisely defined by the international law despite its inclusion in a number of international legal agreements. The recent attempts by the international community to develop a consensus, definition revealed major difference of opinion concerning and ultimate and result of trafficking its constitutive acts and their relative significations. In 1994 the General Assembly of the United Nations referred to trafficking as illicit and clandestine movement of persons across national and international borders with the end goal forcing women and girl children into sexually or economically oppressions and exploitative situations for the profit of recruiters, traffickers and syndicates as well as other illegal activities related to trafficking such as forced domestic labors, false marriage, clandestine employment and forced adoption. website: www.indusedu.org, email id:- editorindus@gmail.com Page 10
OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the above said research study is as follows: To solve the severe problem of women trafficking in India. METHODOLOGY: This study is entirely based on the secondary information available through various research studies in India and as well as International. The information is also collected from various journal pertaining to women trafficking in social science. REASONS BEHIND TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN: 1. Women and children have been trafficked for prostitution. Force marriage and other forms of sexual exploitation such as sex tourism and pornography. 2. The increasing use of new information technologies in particular the internet has altogether added a new dimension to the problem faced. 3. It has taken advantage of the unequal status of women and girl in the source and transit countries, including harmful stereo types of women as property, commodities, servants and sexual objects. 4. Trafficking usually involves long term exploitation for economic gain. 5. Organized crime groups profit from both the trafficking fees and the trafficked person labor. WOMEN TRAFFICKING IN INDIA: The Indian society today is totally male dominated and is biased against the female gender. This results in all sorts of exploitation and discriminatory practices. Obviously, the status of India, the women and girls has become a highly central point of organized, interstate and international trafficking business. Kidnapped/abducted women are usually sold for prostitution. A gang of kidnappers consists of both males and females operate every were this business. There gangs all vales activate in places of public entertainment, education and institutions, hostels, hospitals, fairs and festivals, bus stands or railway etc. PROSITUTION AND DEVDASI CUSTOM IN INDIA: Women have offer been forced into prostitution their freedom of movement has been restricted. They have no personal documents. They have been isolated from other people and subjected to supervision and also locked up in their rooms/in a brothel, in hotel etc. there has been and alarming increase in prostitution as 2.4 million women forced into prostitution. OTHER KINDS OF VIOLATIONS AGAINST WOMEN: website: www.indusedu.org, email id:- editorindus@gmail.com Page 11
Violence in an action/policy/an attitude that causes bodily/mental injury and dehumanizes a person. Violence against women, regardless of the nature of the perpetrator an individual group, institution the state/society is a human rights violation and is treated as such whether it happens in the home with in the family or outside of it. The violation of women s rights takes many forms such as; 1. Sexual or physical assault and harassment. 2. Female fecticide an infanticides 3. Female circumcise and 4. Dowry deaths, Sati and denial of her autonomy and authority over her body. STEPS TAKEN BY INDIAN GOVERNMENT TO TACKLE WOMEN TRAFFICKING: Till very recently the government of India s emphasis is primarily on internal trafficking. But now it has moveal towards the cross-border trafficking and the need to tackle this issue has been emerged Indian Government has takes important steps these are following, Political Commitment: the Dept of women and child development (DWCD) has instituted the Central Advisory Committee on child prostitution.in September 2001 the Government of India launched a scheme called Swadhas for women in difficult circumstances. Involvement of independent autonomies commission: the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) has identified trafficking as a priority issue for itself and it has been looking at it from the human rights perspective. Strengthening of legislative instruments/acts: The major legal frame work addressing trafficking the immoral trafficking, prevent act ITPA of 1956 which is bared the 1949 UN. CONVENTION: The UN special report told that the government and NGO s claim the percent of the cares rigistercal undo IRPA all for soliciting. GLOBAL INITIATIIVES TO STRENGTHES WOMENS S HUMAN RIGHTS: UN actions for the advancement women began with the signing of the UN s founding Charles. This happened 50 years ago, in October 1945, when the Charles entered into force and the UN was formally setup. Since that the UN has been at the centre of a growing global movement for women s rights. website: www.indusedu.org, email id:- editorindus@gmail.com Page 12
There are over twenty three (23) main UN conventions relating to Human Rights in general and five (5) especially to women. Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (1979). Convention on political rights of women (1952). Convention on the consent of marriage minimum age of marriage and registration of marriage 1957. Convention on the nationality of married women and convention on the recovery abroad of maintenance (1956). The following suggestions may be taken into consideration. Issue of human rights and development and the implementation of universal declaration must be approached realistically and along the human rights the human duties should be defined/made in the Indian national Constitution and international Charts. Human Rights awareness to the people by electronic and printed media is required to be generated. Human rights Groups and committees at schools colleges and university levels are required to be formulated to educate the student community and public about the maintenance of their human rights. Human Rights Institutions and Organizations are required to be made in each state to look after the violations and maintenance of human rights. Human Rights day is also required to be celebrated every year by deferent ways and programmes. CONCLUSION: In the 21 st Century women trafficking has become a global phenomenon and proposes a transnational challenge. It is a criminal activity; a human rights a bare and an economic empowerment and social justice issue. It is the third largest crime next to weapons and drugs in the world. Anti trafficking latered strategies required a multifaceted and multi approach. Governments all over have realized that they cannot combat such a complex challenge alone and this has to be tackled collectively Trafficking also usually involves conspiracy document forgery, visa, mail and wire fraud. After an analysis it is concluded these all major complex factors such as poverty illiteracy, circumstantial press exploitation lack of risk awareness, unjustified adventure craze for website: www.indusedu.org, email id:- editorindus@gmail.com Page 13
settling in developed culture weekend value system, negative impact of the media falling sex ratio with in economical advanced status. REFERENCES: 1. Mahesh Bhargava, Prospects of Human rights Human trafficking, Rakhi Prakashan Agra. 2008- page No. 76-77 2. Dr. S. R. Myrani Women and Law Asia Law House New Delhi2002 page No. 231 3. Prefullah Padhey Isha Book Publication New Delhi 2006 Page No. 123 124 4. Sushma Srivastva Women and Crime Common Publisher New Delhi 2008 Page No. 7 5. Raj kumar Woman and Sexuality ammol Publisher New Delhi 2000 Page No. 113. website: www.indusedu.org, email id:- editorindus@gmail.com Page 14