Initiated Intigrated Development Activities to Control/Prevent Prostition/Trafficking

 II.  Initiated intigrated development activities to control/prevent prostition/trafficking at the source areas realizing the fact that prostitution /trafficking can be prevented by dealing with factors contributing to the problem.  Prostitution/trafficking prevention action is presently carried out in 4 areas, all places of origin of girls/women in prostitution. This action was initiated in 1992- 93,; it was a pioneering project. There were only a few organizations working there on rescue, rehabilitation, welfare of the prostitutes and prevention of the problem of prostitution. As per a national study conducted by GNK at the initiative of National Commission For Women in 1988. There were a total of 53 organizations working on different dimensions of the problems of prostitution. Only 5 were found to be engaged in preventive action. Of these five, only one organization was working at the community level and that was Gram Niyojan Kendra.  There is also no effort in facilitating girls/women in prostitution, who are involved in it by virtue of their caste and culture, to disassociate them from the traditional practice of prostitution through organization of multiple activities; education, livelihood promotion, awareness generation, formation of organization of women etc.  III.  The activities carried on with the objective of preventing trafficking/prostitution can be divided in to two groups namely Social and economic development activities. Details of these activities are given below;  Social development: Education, Awareness Generation, Health, Counselling, Group Formation, Games and Sports and Creativity Activity, Linkage and Networking.  Economic Development: Vocational Training (farm and off farm activities), Training in Entrepreneurship Development, Assistance In Marketing and Resource Mobilization, Formation of SHG’s / Co-operatives, Preservation and Management of Natural Resources.  Multiple approaches have been followed in organizing these activities considering the challenges involved in action. These approaches are; 1. Planning programmes based on needs of people and resources available in area. 2. Organizing action in close cooperation and coordination with people, people’s groups (panchayats). Government, non government agencies and resource groups. Making community participation a key to programme organization. 3. Developing community watch groups for proper running of the programme 4. Providing services at the level of villages and or door steps of people. 5. Planning and organizing time and target based programme in close collaboration of all stake holders of the project. 6. Organizing regular human resource development training for the staff members of the project.

1 7. Sharing of work responsibilities among staff with regular supervision and monitoring. 8. Developing team spirit and retaining moral of the staff. 9. Regular staff meeting and sharing of credits/ discredits equally among persons responsible of organization of the programme. 10. Proper reporting of events and sharing them among staff for their learning and development. 11. Networking/ linkages with supportive agencies to strengthen the programme . 12. Monitoring and evaluating, modifying programmes accordingly. 13. Transparency and inter/intra agency communication.

4. We plan to work further for our innovation. This we propose to do first; by putting all efforts in making successful these initiative, and then by making the experiences of action available to persons, who are engaged in such action for debate and discussions.Once this is found as an acceptable model then it can be further implemented directly by Gram Niyojan Kendra in areas having similar problems or indirectly by other organizations facing the similar problems. 5. Our partner in organizing the programmes are many, they include local communities, panchayats, local NGOs, and government departments, and different funding agencies. Name of the sponsoring agencies are: 1.Roopwas,Bharatpur,Rajasthan Plan India- New Delhi. 2. MISERIOR (Germany) 3. MURR MUNING TRUST(Germany). 4..Naugaon, Uttarkashi, Uttaranchal Oxfam –Hongkong. 6. Navtanwa-Maharajganj. Plan International. 8. Majarajganj PACS/DFID.

IMPACT: 1. The efforts are contributing to several qualitative and quantitative changes in the life and the living conditions of the girls/women traditionally involved in prostitution in addition to facilitating them in the process of their disassociation from prostitution. 2. the problems faced are many, some of them are.

a) deep rooted attitude of people and their mindset towards prostitution in the areas, many of them do not even perceive it as a problem because of influence of traditional customs and practices; b) families’ tendency to exploit their daughters for better economic facilities in life; general socio-economic backwardness of the areas due to low literacy rate and

2 educational standard. All these are working as hindrance to progress of the programme; c) inadequate or absence of development infrastructure, low priority given to the problem; d) presence of people belonging to vulnerable sections in large numbers and general apathetic attitude of the government departments towards the development efforts of these people and also to the peoblem of prostitution/trafficking; e) presence of vested group and their resistance in programme. Many families particularly the male members of the families, are resisting the process of disassociation of their women members from the traditional practice; f) non availability of suitable trained and committed workers to work on long term basis in an adverse condition; g) frequent turn over of workers and difficulties in communication etc; h) project based resources, which has always proved to be inadequate considering the requirement of the situation; i) growing consumerism without considering the needs in the age of globalization along with erosion of values towards sex are further providing an impetus to young girls to earn some extra money without considering the means; and j) absence of supportive programme of action in the area resulting in requirement of resource.

3. Total coverage: About 142 villages and 24,909 families having 166226 population. About 1460 families are directly involved in prostitution/trafficking/smuggling. Others are vulnerable because of their caste position (marginalized sector), low literacy, and ignorance, little or no resources and presence of trafficking network. Girls /women are constantly allured by trafficking network including the practitioners in terms of marriage, job, better opportunity etc. 4. list of impact: a The age old practice of sending daughters in the flesh trade is changing, giving way to arranging marriages. b. Process of disassociation from traditional practice of prostitution has started. c. Girls protected from forced entry, they are also helped in resisting their entry into prostitution. d. Overall increase in awareness of people, women and youth, change in the mind set and promotion of community action. e.Panchayats taking initiatives to deal with the problem of trafficking/ prostitution in Maharajganj Area. e.Youth groups, in Roopwas belonging to Bedia families are taking initiative to bring an end to the age old practice of prostitution. f..Families are preferring education of their children including daughters, instead of sending them to the market. g.Increasing motivation for education and thereby, reducing school drop out rate and increase in enrollment and literacy rates and educational standard, especially of women and children.

3 h. Better habit formation among children, besides inculcating the habit of discipline and generating greater interest in their education. i. District administration has become sensitive to the problem and trying to help the families, who are resisting their entry into the profession.

Policy: GNK’s effort at Bharatpur –Roopwas has drawn attention of the government. Joint secretary of NWCD in charge of anti trafficking action visited the area. Following her visit, the trainees of anti trafficking work from different SARC have visited the area in two batches through NIPCID, New Delhi. The ministry considers it as a successful model on preventive action of the problems and, accordingly asked the Kendra to present its experiment before the Centreal Advisory Committee on anti trafficking at Vigyan Bhawan in one of its quarterly meetings in 2007. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has formulated a national scheme (Ujjala Programme) incorporating a provision for support relating to preventing action. In fact this is the time the government has gone beyond the rescue activities and given emphasis on prevention.

Benefit: already explained. Already explained under the heading Impact.

Sustainability:  Finance has always been a problem.  Support received has always been short term oriented, except the support received from International.  Every time efforts are made to mobilize resources and it is not easy to get, as the Kendra does not have any international known support group.  Different people /Agency are approached but with much success.

Next  We have no idea what will happen to our initiative and how will be able to carry forward till the time community takes it over. However, we have to continue with it. We hope to get support.  Annual budget for prostitution prevention action is Rs. 1,50,00,000

 Workers: Full time: 65 Part time: 20 Volunteers: 120

Potential: We need long term support to run the activities on plan basis. Above 2 crores per year -for 5 years to reach a logical conclusion where the community can take it over.

Barriers: 1. Inability to generate resources from the community.

4 2. Government still today do not have any programme to support such initiative on long term basis. 3. Lack of information about the organization who could be for resource support.

Origin : Kendra’s work on women in prostitution started in 1981, with conducting a study on “Prostitutes and Prostitution” merely as an issue of research interest. Studies on prostitution then were difficult to conduct even by way of getting researchers for data collection because of the stigma attached to the issue. Initiation of action connected with experiment in prevention/control of the problem of prostitution at the places of origin was started from 1993-94. this was neither an adhoc affair, nor a result of mere availability of resources. It was a planned action based on the conviction that something should be done to mitigate or arrest the problem. Factors promoting GNK to plan and organize prostitution preventive action through initiation of integrated development programme: Sense of Guilt: K.K and Sutapa Mukherjee, who were instrumental in conducting the studies on prostitution, realized that they had gained both professionally and academically during the course of research. GNK also however, nothing specific had been done by them to improve the condition the girls/women in the profession, i.e. neither to improve their condition of life and living , nor to protect them form becoming victims prostitution and trafficking.

Plea from the Victims: on several occasions, there were personal requests to Sutapa from women (victims of practice) who met her during the periods of investigations in course of various studies to i) protect the girls and women like them from becoming victims of the trade. (Didi hamare jaise auroton ke liye kuch karo jisse is dhandein mein aana na pare.) and ii) protect their next generation from entering the trade by providing life options in terms of education, skill development and livelihood opportunities.

Suggestions from well wishers: it came as suggestions from friends interested and involved in dealing with the problem that GNK should not allow to go waste its understanding of the problem by merely confining to conducting research studies. It should rather go into implementation of action employing ways and means of dealing with it.

Enthusiasm of the workers: a few workers of the GNK were ready to initiate field programmes to deal with the problem. This was, despite the fact that working with prostitutes was not well accepted by society. It was difficult to get even the research investigators to go and talk to the prostitutes. These workers were prepared to carry on with the experiment by accepting all risks involved in initiation of such action since this had to be done by settling down in the remote areas.

After the decision of implementing ideas into action was taken, the question arose about the nature of action GNK should take up. There were detailed and intensive discussions for days, both within and outside the organization. Form the different forms and nature of

5 action to deal with the problem i.e. rescue, rehabilitation, welfare and prevention, GNK opted for the preventive model. This is because: It is cheap and stigma free; It deals with problems contributing to entry of young girls/women in prostitution; It is possible and with in the functional capacity of the Kendra ; and It will be an innovative action ,as still now action connected with prostitution and trafficking centres round rescue.

Personal Bio: The initiative at the GNK was taken jointly by K.K Mukherjee and Sutapa Mukjherjee both of whom are professionally trained social worker and have doctorate degree. K.K Mukherjee has retired as professor of Social Work, from the Department of Social Work, Delhi University. He also worked as head of the department of social work, Delhi University for six years. Mukherjee is also a member of the central Advisory Committee on anti trafficking formed by MWCD. K.K and Sutapa Mukherjee were working in Gnadhi Peace Foundation during J.P. Movement. During the emergency year there was a fear of closing down the foundation by the authority. This led to thinking of developing of alternative structure which can take over the activities of the foundation. This thinking led to formation of Kendra in 77 with K.K Mukherjee as secretary and Sutapa Mukherjee as Coordinator. After 10 years Sutapa became the Secretary. Since then She is continuously working with GNK as Executive Director cum Secretary. K.K Mukherjee happens to be only active and living founder member of GNK. Mukherjees together conducted nine studies on Prostitutes and Prostitution since 1981, all on behalf of government departments. Their recently completed study is the national study on “Girls and Women in Prostitution in India” sponsored by Ministry of Women and Child Development. The study covered 9,500 prostitutes from 32 states of the territories. It is the only document which is frequently referred by the government. Even in amending the ITPA Act. They are presently engaged in conducting a national study on “Sex Tourism in India”

Emphasis of work given above