Skill training and entrepreneurship – inroads to alternate and well-paying livelihoods for …

Human trafficking has disproportionately impacted marginalized communities, with more than 50 million people estimated to be in situations of modern slavery across the world. The problem is alarming, with almost 1 in every 150 people susceptible to being entrapped in forced labour in the post Covid-19 world, according to ILO's Global Estimates of Modern Slavery report.  In India, the situation of human trafficking isn't any better. According to the latest NCRB data, 6,533 cases were registered, out of which 2,877 were minors, indicating that almost eight children were trafficked daily in India in 2021. Also, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana have registered the highest number of human trafficking cases in 2021, followed by Assam, Jharkhand, Kerala, Odisha, and Rajasthan. 

There is a multiplicity of laws, such as the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act 1956, the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976, the Child Labour (Prohibition and Abolition) Act 1986, the Juvenile Justice Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012, which deal with different forms of trafficking in silos. Due to trafficking, survivors cannot get education and employment, and the plethora of existing legislations are inadequate for providing survivors with comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration services in the community. 

Challenges faced by survivors

The road to recovery and reintegration with society for a survivor is filled with several challenges, and a lack of a uniform rehabilitation policy for all survivors exacerbates the situation. Implementing existing rehabilitation policies such as the UJJWALA Scheme, which focuses on rehabilitation and reintegration of victims of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, remains unclear, with no audits done on shelter homes or reintegrated survivors. The victims are sent to custodial detention in shelter homes after the rescue to receive immediate physical and psychological care and deal with the aftereffects of experiencing a traumatic experience. However, the victims are confined in these homes for an indefinite period with minimal utilities, with no agency to choose their desirable education, skilling needs, and financial independence.

Survivors of human trafficking face multiple challenges upon returning to their home communities after years of living in the traps of traffickers and shelter homes. Lack of supporting documents and immediate financial support hinders a survivor from restarting a life of dignity and makes them prone to poverty and re-trafficking. Stigma inflicted by families and communities multiplies their difficulties as they are discouraged from re-enrolling in schools to complete their education, acquire a skill set and earn a livelihood through employment. For instance, victims are taught beautician courses in shelter homes, but upon their return home, they have no money to purchase products, own a shop, and are unable to find customers on account of societal ostracization.

Focus on reintegration

There is a need to reconsider the approach to rehabilitation policy that uniformly caters to the needs of survivors of all forms of trafficking. While the central government's schemes and state orders for rehabilitating the women and girls rescued from human trafficking focus on the custodial model, the policy needs to shift to prioritize the reintegration of survivors in their home communities or communities of their choice. For this, the adoption of Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) practices is recommended, which clarifies what services survivors are entitled to, where they can get those services and the manner in which Panchayats, hospitals, district administrative offices, or police officers are responsible for the provision of those services.

To achieve this, the Trafficking In Persons (Prevention, Care, Rehabilitation) Bill, a comprehensive bill pending introduction by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, must define the term “reintegration” and mandate the state government to provide physiological and psychological healthcare facilities, education, skill training, job opportunities, and victim compensation at the community level. The panchayats and district administration should be held accountable for ensuring safety from traffickers, helping to deal with economic distress, or coping with violence in the family or community.

Achieving financial independence

Financial inclusion of trafficked survivors remains a gap, and it is imperative to create opportunities for survivors to attain financial independence, allowing them to lead dignified life. One of the primary ways in which financial independence can be achieved for trafficked survivors is through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), that have become a strong pillar for the burgeoning rural economy under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). Over the years, survivors of trafficking and sex workers In West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh have formed exclusive SHGs that have spurred microbusinesses by survivors, reduced poverty levels, and provided them with sustainable livelihoods. The impact of these SHG groups has contributed to survivors gaining confidence and respect in the community, as well as creating linkages to the formal banking system and welfare schemes.

Choice in skilling & opportunities 

Survivors must be given the freedom to choose the vocation in which they want to be skilled or trained rather than being forced to participate in a limited set of skills training mandated by the state. Thus, the formation of a special project and fund under the Skill India Mission for survivors of all forms of trafficking is recommended. The state government must be encouraged to establish certified vocational training centres with adequate marketing links and placement opportunities to provide community-led livelihood skills. Survivors of human trafficking should be given NSS Cadet training and the opportunity to work as police volunteers. Job opportunities can also be explored under the public-private partnership model to create new alternative livelihood opportunities for the survivors. 

Self-reliance is key for a survivor to get fully rehabilitated. For that to happen, the state and the public must work together to create a robust system for skill development and job creation in the rehabilitation process. The Trafficking In Persons Bill must provide greater agency to survivors so they can choose their vocation and empower them to become financially independent.