Ujjawala Scheme

Ujjawala Scheme

The trafficking of people, mostly of women and children is a burgeoning criminal activity that generates unbelievably large profits every year, third only to illegal drugs and weapons trade. Every year, thousands of women and children are reported missing from their homes in different parts of the globe. Such victims of trafficking are usually lifted from deprived regions and villages and exported to mainly urban areas within or across borders.

The 'Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children', defines trafficking in persons to mean the use of threats, force, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or other forms of coercion for the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation includes prostitution, other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

Trafficking of women and children is a major issue in India, with people being illegally transported across States as well as being brought in over borders from neighbouring countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh. The main reason for trafficking people is commercial sexual exploitation, though people may also be trafficked for forced labour, marriage, begging, adoption and organ trade.

The Constitution of India- External website that opens in a new window, the fundamental law of the land, specifically forbids "traffic in human beings and other similar forms of forced labour" in Article 23. The welfare of women and children is of vital importance to the Indian Government, with the administration regularly formulating provisions and schemes for their benefit. One of the most promising schemes brought about is the 'Ujjawala Scheme- External website that opens in a new window' designed to liberate victims of commercial sexual exploitation