Just when you thought that education would, in the long run, help resolve the growing number of HIV+ cases in India, the disease has morphed itself to create more trouble. Human trafficking networks are now after younger women, because that is what their ‘clients’ want.
The desire for younger women has been around for a long time, but my fear reached stratospheric heights when I read this
Desire for younger women is not the prime reason. The growing fear of catching sexually transmitted diseases from older women and belief that having sex with younger women is a cure for many diseases had caused this increase in demand. “Many believe having sex with young virgin girls would cure them of diseases. For others, chances of catching STD from younger girls is less,†Lewis said.
In a recently released survey report, the UN claims that human trafficking syndicates are now targeting younger women, I was thinking late teens, but I was shocked to see that in some cases girls are young as 5 years old.
Lewis said that a recent study of trafficked women in Nepal to India had revealed that there is an increased demand for younger women. In 1980s, women between 14-16 were preferred, then the age in 1990s went down to 10-14 and now it is even less than 10 years. “I have come across cases where even five year-old girls have been trafficked for sexual exploitation,†Lewis told HT but added that such cases are not very rampant.
Human trafficking is the third most profitable illegal activity in South Asia worth a few Billion dollars and the UN Office of Drug and Crime is launching a campaign called UN gift to help combat this atrocity.
The State governments are trying to do their part. Andhra Pradesh, Goa and West Bengal have all set up anti-human trafficking cells, but there is a long way to go before results are seen.
Ministers and Bollywood personalities are likely to attend the launch of the UN Gift program, this will hopefully draw some media coverage and public attention.
Stories, suggestions, charities that you know of related to human trafficking, enlighten us and our readers.
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