Women trafficking in India

Abstract

Organised crime, like women trafficking in India, is a threat to gender equality. Women are being trafficked for the flesh trade or sexual exploitation for commercial purposes. The traffickers target girls of a tender age from poor families. They lure them with the promise of employment but trap them into prostitution where they spend their whole lives in a miserable condition, vulnerable to diseases. The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, in India exists to check human trafficking and punish traffickers. Despite this law being on the books since 1956, human trafficking is unstoppable, especially the trafficking of women. In 2015, the total reported cases of women trafficking were 2,424 and total female victims were 3,038 (National Crime Record Bureau Report 2015). It is shameful that we are living in the 21st century and these outrageous practices prevail in society. It is not only inhuman but also runs counter to gender equality. It is violative of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India 1950, and contrary to Human Rights as well. Efficient initiatives are required to eradicate such practices from India. This chapter highlights why we have failed to check human trafficking, especially women trafficking in India, and what measures can be taken to eradicate such a practice from India forever.