Human trafficking and forced prostitution in india with special reference to scheduled caste women and girls Saheb Syed Ussain*, Seshaiah Sepuri**, Viswanath Buddolla*** * Research Scholar, Department of Law, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur-515003. INDIA ** Professor, Department of Law, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur-515 003. INDIA *** Principal Investigator (DST) Department of Virology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati – 517 502. A.P., INDIA. Online published on 7 February, 2013. Abstract In India, where the caste system is more prevalent, has never been studied thoroughly with respect to caste role in forced prostitution. Over the last decade, the volume of human trafficking and forced prostitution has increased though the exact numbers are not known. As per the reports and literature, thousands of scheduled caste women and girls are forced into prostitution every year. The link between caste and forced prostitution is apparent in the Devadasi and Jogini systems practiced in India, which is unfortunate. Keeping scheduled caste women as prostitutes and tying prostitution to bondage is a means of subjugation by dominant castes seeking to enforce their social status and economic superiority. Human Rights Watch (HRW) estimates that up to 15.000 scheduled caste female children in India are taken from their families and raped and auctioned into prostitution every year. This type of practice legitimizes sexual violence and discrimination and highlights the intersection between discrimination based on caste. Regrettably, today, sex trafficking is a high-tech, globalized, electronic market, and predators are involved at all levels, using the same methods to control prostituted women that batterers use against their victims: minimization and denial of physical violence, economic exploitation, social isolation, verbal abuse, threats and intimidation, physical violence, sexual assault, and captivity. Unless a public opinion is built, laws are effectively designed and implemented, the situation is constantly monitored, and the nexus of traffickers is exposed, young scheduled caste women will continue to be trafficked and forced into prostitution. Coordinated efforts are required to stop and prevent such trafficking. In this paper, authors are focusing to discuss on responsibilities of trafficking government organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society, pressure groups, an d international bodies to stop such cruel activities in India. Top Keywords Forced prostitution, Devadasi, Jogini, Human trafficking, Sexual exploitation, Sexual slavery. Top |