Revised Paper

Human Trafficking in India is a major problem. UNICEF estimates that 1.2 million children suffer from human trafficking each year. The sad thing, government officials lack the knowledge of this horrible act, and do not pursue punishment for the cruel men who force trafficking onto people. The government over time has started to lay down the law, and not make it acceptable for woman and children to be humanly trafficked. For example, in 1986 The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act or PITA, originally called the All India Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act (SITA), was enacted so as to limit and eventually abolish prostitution in India by criminalizing various aspects of sex work. Included in those are punishments specifically designed for victims under the age of 18. Although, that does not stop these men from doing it. Every day, little girls and woman are being put out on the street, waiting to be picked up and taken as a prostitute.  Of the 2.8 million sex workers in India, approximately 36% of them enter the trade before the age of 18.

Billions of dollars are made each year in India as a result of human trafficking.  Since nearly 27% of India lives below the poverty line, families consider the sex trade as their only means of income since it's such a lucrative trade. For example, a couple sold their child in sex trafficking for a car. In a survey done by All Bengal Women's Union in 1988, 23 out of 160 sex workers claimed to have entered the trade willingly for money.  However, the remaining 137 women were introduced or forced into the sex trade.  

India is the world second largest country, with a population of 1,173,108,018 people.  The unemployment rate in 2009 was 10.7%.  India contains the largest concentration of poor people in the world.  Approximately 27% of India's population make a $1.25 or less each day. Clearly, $1.25 a day will not sustain a family; thus, parents may feel compelled to give their children, to what they think would be a better life.  However, they unknowingly sell their children into the sex trade.

Human trafficking, particularly, that of children, combined with a high rate of poverty and an overpopulated society, has, and will continue to wreak havoc on India. A cycle is created whereby the overpopulation creates a high rate of unemployment, which in turn creates and causes increased poverty, and victimizes the helpless and uneducated through the exploitation of the sex trade.  Greater awareness of this deplorable practice will bring more attention and hopefully, more relief for the children and people involved.