WUNRN
INDIA
- Over 35% Girls Enter Prostitution Before 18 years: Minister of
State
for Women & Child Development
The
study on girls/women in prostitution in India, conducted between 2002-04,
reports that there is a growing trend in the number of prostitution in the
country
New
Delhi: Of 2.8 million prostitutes in the country, 35.47% entered the trade
before the age of 18 years, Minister of State for Women and Child Development
Renuka Chowdhury informed the Rajya Sabha today.
“The
study on girls/women in prostitution in India, conducted between 2002-04,
reports that there is a growing trend in the number of prostitution in the
country. The study estimates that there are 2.8 million prostitutes in the
country of which 35.47% entered the trade before the age of 18 years”, she said
in a written reply.
The
Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956 (ITPA) supplemented by the Indian Penal
Code prohibits trafficking in human beings including children for purpose of
prostitution and lays down severe penalties for traffickers, she said.
The
ITPA is being further amended providing for more stringent punishment for
trafficking in persons including children, Chowdhury said adding her ministry
conducts advocacy, awareness generation, sensitization programme for prevention
of child trafficking.
To a
related question whether girls of poor families from various states are being
trafficked to gulf countries, she said as per information received from
Ministry of Overseas Affairs, in cases of workers being sent abroad by illegal/
unscrupulous Recruiting Agents, the state police is requested to take legal
action against the agents.
Besides,
she said a ban has also been imposed on grant of emigration clearance to women
below the age of 30 years if the are seeking employment as housemaids/domestic
workers in any emigration check required country.
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