MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI KRISHNA TIRATH)
(a) to (c): A comprehensive study on ‘Girls and Women in Prostitution’, conducted
in 2004, which was sponsored by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, had
estimated that there were 2.8 million prostitutes in the country of which 36% are
children. The State/Union Territory wise data on number of girls/women in prostitution,
as estimated by the Study, is given in Annex.
(d): The Ministry of Women and Child Development has undertaken a pilot project
which is being jointly implemented by Central for Advocacy and Research (CFAR),
community based organizations in close coordination with National Resource Centre
for Women and State Resources Centre for Women. The project is aimed at designing
the process of social inclusion plan for vulnerable and marginalized communities
and mainstreaming sexual workers and sexual minorities in the States of Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
(e) to (f): The Government received a suggestion for legalizing the profession of flesh
trade and for taking concrete steps for the welfare of sex workers and their children.
The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 supplemented by Indian Penal Code prohibits
trafficking in human beings, including children, for purpose of prostitution and lays
down procedures.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing “Ujjawala†– a Comprehensive
Scheme for Prevention of Trafficking and Rescue, Rehabilitation, Re-integration and
Repatriation of Victims of Trafficking for Commercial Sexual Exploitation. As on date, 273
projects including 151 Protective and Rehabilitative Homes have been supported under the
Scheme. These rehabilitative centres are given financial support for providing shelter and
basic amenities such as food, clothing, medical care, legal aid, education in the case the
victims are children, as well as for undertaking vocational training and income generation
activities to provide the victims with alternate livelihood option.
In addition, the Ministry of Women and Children is implementing following schemes for women
and children which can be availed by sex workers and their children:-
(i) The Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme for children of working mothers which provided
day care facilities to children (age group 0-6 years) of working mothers belonging to families
whose monthly income is not more than Rs.12,000/-.
(ii) The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme which provides a package of
six services viz. supplementary nutrition, immunization, referral services, health check-up,
pre -school education and health and nutrition education to children below six years of age
and Pregnant & Lactating Mothers, irrespective of their economic status.
(iii) The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) which has various components including
extending emergency outreach services through Childline toll free number 1098, open shelters
for children in need in urban and semi urban areas, support for family based non-institutional
care through sponsorship, foster care, adoption and after care and institutional care for
children and juveniles. It caters to all children in need of care and protection, particularly
beggars, street and working children, rag pickers, small vendors, street performers, orphaned,
deserted, trafficked and run –away children, children of migrant population and any other
vulnerable group of children.
