Last evening at the university circle there were about 6 two wheelers all of them rented with young boys and girls, the girls bordering obese, wearing shorts and singlets and an alliteration with the cop was going on, they were harassing the cop. With them were two Goan boys they were sex workers hired by the girls. If the police are to be believed these girls rent the boys along with renting bikes, the cost varying whether you want rent a european or Goan.
The cops say that this is a routine happening over long weekends, tourists come down rent bikes, but what was more scary is rent boys. So week-end at Goa is all about booze and sex. ARZ a nodal NGO , against human trafficking and goa police had this to share with us.
Human trafficking is the 3rd largest revenue generating business in the world after drug and arms trafficking.
It is the only business which requires no investment or very less investment and the profits are picked from day one. despite human trafficking being the grossest form of human right violation worldwide.
The victims of trafficking are the most victimized,exploited, stigmatized and un supported group. On an average more than 4000 individuals become victims of trafficking each day in different corners of the world. The average age of the girls has dropped from 15 to 13.
The national human rights commission report, 2003 page 353 states that Goa is among the states that has high levels of human trafficking.
There are some myths that go with prostitution
Prostitution happens when individual women desire to sell their bodies—fact– prostitution is the result of trafficking, the third largest organized crime in the world. It involves systematic procurement, sale, transfer, solicitation and prostitution of women and girls both with or without their consent.
Women and girls sell their bodies because they want easy money and are addicted to sex – fact—women and girls are made to sell their bodies because they become victims of trafficking perpetrated by procured, agents, brothel keepers, pimps, and even their own family. The perpetrators make most of the money, not the women. The women remain enslaved and cannot exit because no other alternates are provided to them.
Prostitution is a necessary evil, without prostitution good women would be raped.—fact – there is no linkage between the phenomena of rape and prostitution.
Prostitution is the oldest profession and cannot be stopped.—fact – prostitution is the exploitation of human rights and a result of trafficking. If there is a collective will to do so, trafficking can both be controlled and stopped.
Women in prostitution are criminals – fact – women in prostitution are victims of crime of trafficking and traffickers are offenders under the law.
Trafficking women/girls with their consent is not an offence. – fact – section 5 of the immoral traffic prevention act specifically states that the trafficking of women with or without their consent is punishable with imprisonment for up to fourteen years. In the case of a minor the punishment could be for life.
The trade of prostitution in Goa is carried on by non-Goans and it is not a goan problem.—fact—Goans are involved as customers, male keeps, procurers, lodge/massage/discotheque owner.
These were inputs shared by the Goa police and the ARZ NGO which deals with anti trafficking.
“unless we fight for the victims and champion their dignity, we will not be able to embrace fully our own dignity as human beings.”
Contacts if you come across anything that suspiciously looks like trafficking.
09422438109 email: arzindia@gmail.com web: www.arzindia.org.
Parwatisingari's Weblog 