Member of the National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma said on Thursday that she would urge the State government to set up micro-level projects in villages to prevent trafficking of girls and women who are often lured to cities with promises of employment.
Perturbed by a rise in cases of trafficking of women in A.P., the National Commission for Women has decided to take note of it and chart out the course of action to address it effectively. Ms. Sharma, who is in charge of A.P. , was here on a two-day visit to take stock of the situation.
On Wednesday, she visited a couple of shelter homes — Ujwala near Nambur and Swadhar in Tenali —before heading to the district jail where she interacted with women inmates. Later she met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and shared her observations with him.
“It has come to our notice that a large number of women and girls are trafficked from this State to Saudi Arabia where they languish in wretched conditions. Mr. Naidu is a very pro-active Chief Minister. We want him to take a serious note of the situation and do whatever it takes to prevent this menace. It is said that most of the girls and women walk into the trap laid by brokers who lure them with lucrative jobs in cities. If the government creates work for them in their villages, they will not seek greener pastures elsewhere,” she said. An awareness drive would be taken up soon, she added.
The Commission would make a set of suggestions to the State government in about two months.
Ms. Sharma also had a meeting with NGOs working in the field of women trafficking, officials of the Women and Child Welfare Department, Police department and other stakeholders. “The police seem to be in a denial mode,” she said.
‘Advantage South’
Drawing a comparison, she said compared with the North, women in southern States were “more powerful” and this was probably because of their ‘education’ status.
Location of liquor shops in residential areas was another problem haunting women. The State Commission was focussing on this menace, she added.
