Sex worker to be treated as victim

Aug 24 : The Immoral Trafficking law of 1956 has come under the scan. The government has amended this law under which a prostitute will be treated ‘victim’, not as an ‘offender’.

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The Immoral Traffic Act is the main law which deals with trafficking and sex worker in India. It does not criminalize prostitution but the main drawback of this law is that it does not distinguish between forced prostitution and consensual sex worker.

Study shows that 40 % are below 18 years of age, and are trafficked either from different state in the country or from neighboring state and are forced into this profession illegally.

The bill has been finalized by discussing with several NGO’s fighting for sex workers right. This move of the government came to give a legal right to all those who are in this profession and are oppressed by police because of the tag. The law punishes commercialisation and activities by those facilitating prostitution such as brothel keeping, procuring services and also restrict in certain area.

After a long time, government has decided to give this a legal framework, by treating them as victim as Chairman, Centre for Social Research, Ranjana Kumari said "It’s not legalising, it’s decriminalising of the prostitutes. Most of them are in it not by choice".



Under this law trafficking for social and religion will be treated as offence and child trafficker will be given life imprisonment. There is a provision of in-camera hearing of all cases registered under this law.

The law which may be tabled in the parliament, will help those victim who are exploited, harassed and traumatized by the violent physical attack by both ‘police’ and ‘moral police’ because of their status.