Relief for rescued women could prevent them from being re-trafficked

Panaji: Civil society groups have expressed concern that in view of the coronavirus pandemic, if the relief services do not reach the victims who have been rescued from prostitution then they might be forced to seek support from pimps/agents which will subsequently bring them back into the prostitution.

While the government and other organisations have been providing relief services to public, it is learnt that one of the reasons the victims are not coming forward as they feel stigmatised and are hesitant to ask for relief.

Keeping this in mind, ARZ (Anyay Rahit Zindagi) decided to reach out to victims rescued from commercial sexual exploitation (CSE). In the last 50 days, ARZ contacted over 290 victims (in Goa as well as outside Goa) and provided assistance to those who required. According to ARZ, post rescue from prostitution the victims have taken up job at malls, beauty parlor, restaurant, housekeeping, but due to the prevailing situation, they have lost employment and are without source of income.

ARZ provided help such as ration for survivors (in Goa as well as outside Goa), their children education fees, money for medicine, gas cylinder, clothes, vegetables and house rent etc. In Goa, ARZ members visited the houses of survivors, and an assessment was made for their need. According to ARZ, 161 survivors were contacted in Goa and support provided to around 56 survivors.

“Individuals and families across the region, class and occupation have been affected economically and the worst affected due to COVID-19 are the survivors of CSE”, said ARZ director Arun Pandey. He said that ARZ has been providing rehabilitation services to the rescued victims, admitted at the state protective home. To ensure that the victims of CSE rescued in Goa, are not re-trafficked after their release from protective home, ARZ has continued to follow-up and provide services to the victims of CSE once they are released from protective home informed Pandey.

“The lockdown has caused a new challenge before ARZ, to ensure that the survivors do not get re-trafficked”, informed Pandey adding that, “ARZ, with an aim to prevent the survivors from being re-trafficked has, initiated an intervention called ‘saksham’, with the support of ECPAT, Luxembourg”.

Pandey informed that some of the survivors shared that in this crisis, having no choice, they (victims) have contacted their agent/pimp for loan, which they will return by doing commercial sexual activity after the lockdown is withdrawn.

He said that it was also found that many of the survivors were suffering from anxiety, depression, etc and they were provided counseling. “Around 180 survivors from Goa and outside Goa were provided counseling by the trained staff of ARZ during the last 50 days of the lockdown”, informed Pandey.