|
|
 |
| Sunday, 7 April 2002 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Fresh lease of life for sexually abused women and children by Carol Aloysius The passing of two important Conventions at the recently concluded eleventh SAARC meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal, has once again underlined the need to protect society's two most vulnerable segments from sexual abuse and commercial exploitation. At this Conference, South Asian leaders from seven SAARC nations including Sri Lanka endorsing the Convention on Preventing and Combatting Trafficking of Women and Children and the Convention on Regional Arrangements for the Promotion of Child Welfare in South Asia, pledged to give teeth to an agreement reached at the previous summit held in Sri Lanka in 1998. There is no doubt that the endorsement of these two Agreements is both timely and extremely urgent in the light of the global proliferation of sexual abuse and trafficking of women and children. That these atrocities including violence against women and children should take place in so called civilised societies by persons who are now fully aware of the dire consequences on their victims , is a sad indictment on society as a whole. Further, that they still continue unabated in spite of dozens of Laws, Conventions and Agreements signed by the highest leadership in most countries points out to two things; the moral decadence of societies on a global level, and the lack of sufficient political commitment to enforce the laws that have already been passed preventing such crimes. Trafficking of women and children it appears is largely a South Asian phenomenon and the direct result of poverty, illiteracy,over population and the low status of women and the girl child. India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and in fact most of the countries in South Asia have been quoted as countries that account for the highest number of trafficked women and children across borders. Bimali Ameresekere, Program Officer - South Asia Partnership International in a recent article on `Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children' appearing in the `Daily News', has cited the following mind boggling figures of women and children trafficked in these countries; * Bangladesh has an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 persons ( i.e.30 - 50 each day)a who are trafficked every year to major cities in India, Pakistan and the Middle East. India as a destination country, receives children predominantly from Nepal and Bangladesh while as a source country children from India are trafficked to Pakistan, the Gulf and even to European countries . Approximately 5,000 - 7,000 Nepali girls are trafficked into India each year, while an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Nepali girls are in brothels in India. Many of these girls are between the ages of 7-24 with a mean age of 15. Although trafficking of women and children across borders and on an inter-regional basis is not widely or overtly prevalent in Sri Lanka, as in the other countries of the region, it is a fact that such trafficking nevertheless does take place albeit in a more covert manner, as for example when it is linked to migrant workers. To cite a paper by women's activist Sunila Abeysekere's on the subject; "In Sri Lanka, the issue of trafficking is closely linked to that of migration for employment, especially to West Asia. The elements of coercion and deceit as well as of 'brokering' are all present in the ways in which many migrant workers are recruited and there are reports of Sri Lankan women working in exploitative and slave like conditions." What is now a growing phenomenon of serious concern however , is the increasing number of women (and children) who are being trafficked within the country. This, according to Abeysekere is the result of the conflict situation which she points out has, "Led to further instability in rural areas as well as to internal displacement and migration. This makes women and children especially vulnerable for trafficking". Going by statistics gathered by various NGO's and government bodies, the phenomenal increase in child sex workers ( both male and female)in Sri Lanka today, constitutes a major problem to both state authorities and health officials in Sri Lanka. Rough estimates put the figure of child sex workers in the region of 15,000 to 30,000. Of particular concern is the sharp rise in the incidence of " boy prostitution" in this country. It is now an acknowledged fact that Sri Lanka is a "haven for paedophiles", especially foreign paedophiles who come here after finding their ` prey' usually on the Internet which carries pictures and physical details of young boys in this country who have been photographed nude by foreign paedophiles during one of their visits here, in exchange for a trivial present. Recent reports point out to an alarming increase in the numbers of young boys now appearing in pornographic material shown over the Internet. Ameresekere in his article. states," While the forms of child prostitution vary from country to country and within each country, of the South Asian countries, Sri Lanka stands alone for its dominant prevalence of boy prostitution compared to that of girls." This has been verified by a number of child authorities including Professor Harendra de Silva, Chairman of the National Committee for the Protection of children (NCP) who has been quoted as saying that of the estimated number of children who are sexually abused in Sri Lanka, 20 percent of boys and ten percent girls are exposed to the danger of contracting HIV/AIDS. While the tendency has been to highlight mostly cases where foreign paedophiles have been involved, there is now a disturbing trend which shows an increasing number of local men who are guilty of sexually abusing under aged boys,some as young as six or seven years. The most recent of these cases reported in a daily newspaper here occurred barely a week ago at Kadawatha where it was reported that a two year old girl and her parents died while an 8 year old boy of the same family suffered extensive burns after being burned allegedly by the 11 year old eldest sibling of the family and a 25 year of youth. The two accused had allegedly drugged the family and then poured keresone over their bodies and set them on fire. The cause of this shocking incident, according to media reports, was an illicit sexual relationship between the 11 year old boy and the 25 year old youth which the family had attempted to end by moving house. Incest is another serious problem in this country. Today, due to more awareness and encouragement by authorities to report cases of sexual abuse of children incidents of incest are no longer hidden behind a veil of secrecy and shame. Only the other day this writer read a news item carried in a local English daily of young divorced planter who had been accused of allegedly abusing his visitation rights to his two young children aged 9 months and 4 years respectively by sexually molesting them.. Equally encouraging is the fact that the culprits , if found guilty are no long allowed to go scot free as in the past. Following the Amendment of the Penal Code in 1995, and the stringent punishments meted out to offenders under the new laws, we now see an increasing number of paedophiles, especially foreign paedophiles who previously received ridiculously light sentences such as very small fines and suspended jail sentences, and who invariably left the country no sooner they were freed on bail thus escaping the sentence they deserved, being dealt with more harshly, with stiff fines and jail sentences. The SAARC Convention on Preventing and Combatting Trafficking in women and children for Prostitution defines trafficking as , " the moving, selling or buying of women and children for prostitution within and outside a country for monetary or other considerations with or without the consent of the person subject to trafficking". The Convention advocates penalties against trafficking, protection of the identity of the victims , mutual legal assistance to ascertain proof of the crimes, care, treatment, rehabilitation and expatriation of the victims. With Sri Lanka as a signatory of this Convention, one can only hope that now that the wheels have been set in motion to bring all offenders of sexual crimes against women and children, there will be some real efforts on the part of the government to ensure that the victims are not forgotten. what is now urgently required is political commitment and a concerted effort to provide all abused women and children in this country with care, treatment, counselling, legal address, Most importantly, they should be able to enjoy their rights as citizens and not be ostracised by society simply because they were victims of circumstances . Only then will these unfortunate victims of sexual abuse be able to finally see light beyond the tunnel. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
