AIDS: Relations of Girls Trafficking

-Mohammad Khairul Alam-
-Executive Director-
-Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation-

rainbowngo@gmail.com


Sexual trafficking of children, women and girls through commercial exploitation, is a fundamental violation of their rights. It is a universal and complex problem, which defies both simplistic analysis and easy answers. It encompasses a range of abusers, different forms of abuse, and differs in the type and degree of impact on the victim. Every year, more than 1 million women and children worldwide are reportedly trafficked and sold for a variety of different purposes - many end up in the sex trade. This number comes to nearly 3,000 women and children per day.

Trafficking & HIV/AIDS is an interrelated. Especially women and girls are trafficking for use of sexual industry. Most of trafficking girls would face several physical & sexual abuses. When a girl newly enrolls a sex industry, she tries to safe herself heard & soul, but most of the time they couldn’t free her. Generally the traffickers are not accompanying the women while crossing the border. Therefore, it is difficult for the border police to arrest them. Lack of knowledge of the legal system, no access to the Courts or corruption within the law enforcement services are all cited as factors that severely undermine prevention activities.

 

 

Trafficked victim often suffer from a multitude of physical and psychological health problems. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to reproductive health problems in trafficking situations as they have little or no access to reproductive health care. These problems include lack of access to constant rapes, forced abortions and contraceptive use, and other health issues. Women and girls in domestic servitude are subject to rape and other physical abuse, while women and girls in forced sex work suffer increased risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.

Bangladesh is one of the countries in the world in which the rate of trafficking is very high. Because of the hidden nature of this crime of trafficking, reliable statistics are hard to come out. A survey conducted by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation that the girls forced (trafficking) into the brothels do not want to return to their homes once they are into it for more than one year. Such girls believe they would be victim of social stigma and face discrimination from the society. They also believe, their family would suffer several social taboo, self-respect, and social-dignity.

Traffickers use 20 main points in 16 western districts of Bangladesh near the Indian border. Kushtia district is very safety-point for traffickers; some villages are used as stations for the traffickers. Rajshahi borders of Bidirpur and Premtali are used because there are fewer check points. Jessore border is very popular with traffickers. Some Deserted-house, hut and hotels are used to keep the girls brought from different parts of the country. At least 13 women are being trafficked every day. The Indian Social Welfare Board estimates that there are 500,000 foreign prostitutes in India - 1 percent are from Bangladesh and 2.7% of prostitutes in Calcutta are from Bangladesh. AIDS researcher Mr. Anirudha Alam said, Traffickers were frequently from the country or India, and had links to brothels in India. In some cases parents or relatives sold women and girls into sex industries or trafficker.

A report from Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation that girls prostitutes is mounting, many men believe that having sex with young girls will improve their virility or perhaps even cure a sexually transmitted disease (STDs/HIV) or make them more successful in business. Girls prostitutes as young as teen are thus in high demand. So that, trafficking in Bangladesh exists for the purposes of forced prostitution. Although exact figures on the scope of the problem vary widely, the consensus is that the trafficking problem is growing rapidly.

In order to improve the effectiveness of the HIV/AIDS prevention activities, it is essential to protect human trafficking, as mostly trafficking victim are used commercial sex industry in other geographical area, they stay in there, as like in prison, they have no rights of speak out themselves. They are forced to sexual conduct with multiple partners, but they have no ability to insist upon condom use or safe sex and are vulnerable to HIV/STIs transmission.


Source: Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation, UNAIDS, CARE, UNICEF