Vijayawada: Government urged to help trafficking victims

Vijayawada: Rescued survivors of trafficking and sex workers are one of the most marginalised populations in the state. They have been treated as criminals and are facing discrimination in society since Independence.

The members of Vimukthi, state-level forum of survivors of trafficking and victims of commercial sexual exploitation expressed concern while addressing a joint media conference organised by Vimukthi and HELP here on Tuesday.

President of Vimukthi Apurwa said the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is working for economic development and empowerment of marginalised and weaker sections of population and women through various welfare schemes in the name of 'Navaratnalu.' However, 1.33 lakh women and girls are still entangled in prostitution because of lack of rehabilitation and victim compensation services. Vimukthi Secretary Pushpavathi and Rajani urged the government to reinstate the GOMS No 1 of 2003 and ensure its effective and constructive implementation as it meant for the rehabilitation and welfare of many women and girls, who are stuck in prostitution even today.

They recalled Andhra Pradesh is was one of the first states to issue GO appointing officers in each district to study patterns and trends in human trafficking and to take relevant action.

Andhra Pradesh is today recognised as the state with the highest number of sex workers in the country.

On the occasion of the International Women's Day, the state government should immediately rectify and fulfil the gaps in GO and ensure its strict implementation and bring a new GO to include community-based rehabilitation for women and children, who are victims of trafficking.

They appealed to the government to remove all barriers between sex workers and financial institutions, encourage banks and other financial institutions to provide necessary financial support to sex workers and win their confidence.

They also appealed to the Government to set up a monitoring committee to direct the State Rural Livelihoods Mission and the State Urban Livelihoods Mission to focus on the livelihoods of sex workers, create a strategy to increase diversity in the livelihoods of sex workers by establishing a system to help facilitate linkages between sex workers' savings societies and banks.

Vimukthi leaders Lavanya, Mounika, Jyothi and HELP organisation programme manager Bhaskar Rao, Nithin and Lalitha also participated in the

programme.