Shillong June 28 : As part of the World Day Against Human Trafficking, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in collaboration with the Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) and the District Administration of East Khasi Hills District conducted a sensitization workshop titled “Prevention and Combating Child Trafficking 2.0 in 100 Bordering and Adjoining Districts in India”.
D. Kharshiing, ADC, East Khasi Hills based her speech on the theme 2024 “World Day Against Trafficking Persons, Leave no Child behind in the fight against Human Trafficking”. She stated that Child Trafficking is a heinous crime which needs immediate and continuous intervention. This year’s global campaign for World Day against Trafficking in Persons urges accelerated action to end child trafficking. Worldwide girls are being disproportionately affected in child trafficking. 1 in 3 victims of human trafficking globally is a child.
Reasons for vulnerability of children to trafficking and causes of child trafficking are as follows –
– Inadequate support of unaccompanied children amidst migration and refugee flows in war afflicted areas.
– Economic hardships faced by victims and their families.
– Proliferation of online platforms, social media, dark web to recruit and exploit children and utilizing technology to evade detection.
– Exploitative content in media which encourage crime against women and children.
– Dysfunctional families and lack of parental care.
– Forced labour of children and using them for criminal activities and begging.
– Trafficked for illegal adoption and use of adoption as a mean to exploit children.
– Recruitment into armed forces,
– Online sexual abuse
For effectively combating this problem
– Combined efforts needed at both Local, National and International level.
– States must prioritize child protection, bolster legislation, improve law enforcement
– More resources (financial) to combat child trafficking should be allocated to States to tackle this organized crime.
– Reduce children’s vulnerability by targeting causes like poverty and inequality.
– Trafficking of Children on the move should be given attention.
– Need to hold perpetrator accountable is the need of the hour.
– Victim support systems and child protection systems as well as a justice system which is child sensitive are required to combat child trafficking.
– Collaboration between technical companies, law enforcement, legal frameworks, civil society organization, private sector and communities and enrolment of innovative strategies will address online child exploitation today.
We are sensitive to the issue of human trafficking and modern slavery because we believe that every single person male or female, child or adult is made in God’s image and is therefore valuable of dignity. Human trafficking dehumanizes people turning them into object and commodities. Our hope as administrators and law enforcers is to see people restored into the fullness of who God created them to be.
