Research

Sexual slavery without borders: trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation in India

Christine Joffres¹ , Edward Mills¹ , Michel Joffres¹ , Tinku Khanna² , Harleen Walia³ and Darrin Grund¹

¹  Simon Fraser University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Blusson Hall, Room 11300, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6, Canada

²  State Coordinator, Bihar Anti-trafficking Resource, Centre Apne Aap Women Worldwide http://www.apneaap.org, Jagdish Mills Compound, Forbesganj, Araria, Bihar 841235, India

³  Technical Support – Child Protection, GOI (MWCD)/UNICEF, 253/A Wing – Shastri Bhavan,, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Marg,, New Delhi:110001, India

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International Journal for Equity in Health 2008, 7:22doi:10.1186/1475-9276-7-22

Published:	25 September 2008

Abstract

Trafficking in women and children is a gross violation of human rights. However, this does not prevent an estimated 800 000 women and children to be trafficked each year across international borders. Eighty per cent of trafficked persons end in forced sex work. India has been identified as one of the Asian countries where trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation has reached alarming levels. While there is a considerable amount of internal trafficking from one state to another or within states, India has also emerged as a international supplier of trafficked women and children to the Gulf States and South East Asia, as well as a destination country for women and girls trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation from Nepal and Bangladesh. Trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation is a highly profitable and low risk business that preys on particularly vulnerable populations. This paper presents an overview of the trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation (CSE) in India; identifies the health impacts of CSE; and suggest strategies to respond to trafficking and related issues.