Call to MPs to help pass bill for helping victims of sexual exploitation
VIJAYAWADA: Voluntary organisations claiming to work for protection and welfare of women and children are meeting MPs seeking their support for safe passage of the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021, in Parliament’s winter session.
Leaders of HELP, representing the causes of women and children mainly relating to human trafficking, and executive members of VIMUKTI, state-level forum of rescued survivors of trafficking and victims of commercial sexual exploitation (sex workers), met Narasaraopet MP Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu and sought his support.
Vimukti leaders Meharunneesa, Rajani and Apoorwa and HELP secretary Rammohan Nimmaraju would meet all Telugu MPs soon in this connection.
They explained that the bill was already placed before Parliament for passage and further process of its enactment took place during the last monsoon session following cabinet approval. Unfortunately, the monsoon session met with a pre-closure.
They said that a new law is of utmost importance now, considering the impact of the pandemic on the most-marginalized sections of the society. “We actively participated in the consultation process and submitted a set of recommendations based on our field experiences to the Ministry of Women and Child Development. There is the need for institutional relief, rehabilitation and enforcement of a proactive preventive mechanism,” they stressed.
They urged Devarayalu to personally write to Prime Minister and Union minister for women and child welfare Smriti Irani, to ensure passage of the bill.
