Shakti Vahini Brochure 2013

8/13/2019 Shakti Vahini Brochure 2013

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Gravest form of trafficking is for the purpose of

commercial sexual exploitation. From the very inceptionof the organisation, Shakti Vahini has fought tooth and nailto not only rescue children and women but to also preventit. Decoy operations with the local police , Central Bureauof Investigation (CBI) ,Anti Human trafficking Units(AHTU) , Crime Branch of different State Police and otherlike agencies are organised to apprehend traffickers andfor rescue of trafficked victims. Frequent rescueoperations are conducted with the help of lawenforcement agencies in the red light area and also wherelocal intelligence shows the presence of any person who iskept in bonded conditions and has willingness to leave.Active steps have been taken to burst the bubble of sextrafficking carried out under the garb of massage parloursand other such services. Informal Surveillance systemshave been established by us at various railway and busstations especially in Delhi (destination state), Jharkhand,Assam and West Bengal (major source states).

Child labour is a chronic problem which varies in scale andmanifests in various ways like domestic labour, factorybased labour, traditional trades (like agarbatti, beedi,carpet weaving) etc. The cities where most children endup with the great big city dream have turned into hubs foremploying children as young as 9-10 years, throughillegally run placement agencies. Weak legislation has alsogiven them unprecedented opportunities to exploitchildren with mass illegal migration taking place everyday.

The children are employed at as less as $20 -28 a month(Rs.1000-1400). The money often doesnt reach theparents and is misappropriated by the placement agent.Often children face emotional/mental, physical and sexualabuse at the hands of the employers.

Shakti Vahini does rescue operation of children in forcedlabour situations in collaboration with various lawenforcement agencies. The organization undertakes a lotof awareness programmes on the issue of child labour andreaches out and works with various stakeholders like the

Police, Labour Department, RWA, Industries Associations,Youth and Students, Lawyers etc. for strengthening thefight against child labour. We oversee the process ofrestoration of the children to their home state and followup the cases up to the trial stage of the criminal cases filed.

Shakti Vahini has been working in close partnership withthe Labour Department and the district administrationnot only to rescue but also in providing rehabilitation and

compensation to rescued trafficked children.

Fighting Sex Trafficking andCommercial Sexual Exploitation

Combating Child Labour

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The skewed sex ratio in the northern states of India hasled to emergence of a new trend of trafficking young girlsand women for forced marriages. Shakti Vahini hasworked on this issue intensively since the year 2001. It hasbeen due to Shakti Vahinis efforts that the Government ofIndia, Haryana and Assam Government admitted the saleand purchase of girls due to the fall in sex Ratio. ShaktiVahini has conducted regular awareness drives to educatethe people about various Trafficking Laws acrossHaryana. Shakti Vahini has undertaken series of Police

Training programmes across Haryana to sensitise the lawenforcement officers on the issue of trafficking for forcedmarriages. The organization did advocacy with the policechiefs and Deputy Commissioners in the districts. SinceShakti Vahini has been conducting training at Districtlevel as well as in Police Academy, a very wide network ofsensitized policemen has been created which is of prime

Forced Marriagesimportance for effectively enforcing the law. The issue ofhuman trafficking is getting more attention from theadministrative end and a very active partnership has beencreated with various law enforcement agencies.Shakti Vahini has also reached out to Panchayats/Anganwadis/ Youth Groups etc. Shakti Vahini haspublished report on Female Foeticide, Coerced Marriage& Bonded Labour in Haryana and Punjab: A SituationReport on Human Trafficking. This study has highlightedthe presence of large scale trafficking of women and girls

for forced marriages in Mewat region of Haryana. Theproblem of bought brides in Haryana and Punjab is goingto increase as these states have skewed Sex Ratio andFemale Foeticide is very prevalent.



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the various laws related to children and guide the policeofficers in handling the children with care and affection,be it a Juvenile in Conflict with Law or a Child in Need ofCare and Protection. Shakti Vahini has been trainingofficers at all the 22 police stations in the aforementionedtwo districts in Delhi. Every week four training sessionsare conducted in different police stations.

Shakti Vahini has become a prominent organisationfor Assisting Police in Intervention in NCR Region andNorthern India.The strong advocacy of the Initiatives with the local policeand the police from different states has made ShaktiVahini a prominent and leading organisation for assistingPolice in Interventions conducted by them. The trainingprovided by Shakti Vahini to the police personnel of allhierarchies has created strong sensitization about the

human trafficking issues amongst them. Our activenetwork with the police in NCR regions helps the policefrom other states to conduct rescue operations with thehelp of the Shakti Vahini Initiative team. We are in a betterposition to link the police officials from other states withthe local police and hence help the rescue team in rescuingthe victims and also arresting the accused persons. ShaktiVahini receives request from the State AHTUs, CID and therespective police stations for our assistance in rescueoperations in NCR regions and also in some parts of UttarPradesh and Haryana.

As a part of its anti-trafficking initiative Shakti Vahini hasbeen providing legal support to the victims rescued by theorganization. In addition to this Shakti Vahini is alsoproviding translators, transport and accommodationfacilities to the victims who are coming to Delhi for courthearings and legal counselling. We also provide legal aid tovictims of Human Trafficking and also their families.

Training- State AHTU/ District AHTU:A sensitive and informed police force ensures betterdelivery of justice and better assistance to the victim.Shakti Vahinis Anti Trafficking Initiative has been takingsteps in this direction by training police officers at variouslevels. Shakti Vahini sensitizes police officers of the AntiHuman Trafficking Units; these Units have been recentlyset up in Delhi and across India in 2011 to enforce lawsand address issues related to human trafficking. ShaktiVahinis Anti Trafficking Initiative has also beenconducting district level training in districts of Haryana.Shakti Vahini is actively involved in training sessions heldat the district level at the Delhi Police Academy & HaryanaPolice Academy.

Training on Child Rights and Juvenile Justice(Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000.Shakti Vahini has been appointed as the Nodal NGO by theSpecial Police Unit for Women and Children, Nanakpurafor two districts in Delhi, viz. New Delhi and East Delhi.Shakti Vahini has been assigned the responsibility to

sensitize police officers at the police station level about

SALIENT FEATURES OF SHAKTI VAHINI ANTI TRAFFICKING INITIATIVE



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Monitoring and Implementation of Various Laws on HumanTrafficking and Forced Labour:

One of the important components of the Initiative is toensure that the statutory agencies mandated by the laware working properly and in close coordination for thewelfare of trafficked victims. These bodies may include theJuvenile Police Officer, The Child Welfare Committees, The

Bonded Labour Monitoring committee at the district level,the Child Labour Cell of the Labour department, TheDistrict Child Protection Units, the Advisory Board ofSocial Workers under Immoral Traffic Prevention Act etc.Shakti Vahinis Anti Trafficking Initiative has done strongadvocacy with these units so that at the time of need theyfunction very proactively.

Facilitating Rehabilitation and Repatriation:Shakti Vahinis Anti Trafficking Initiative works tirelesslytowards victim rehabilitation and repatriation. After arescue, Shakti Vahini counsellors accompany the police in

the production of the children before various legalofficers. Post rescue counselling is provided to the victimswhich helps the victims to overcome the trauma andtestify before the Magistrates. Shakti Vahinis AntiTrafficking Initiative also volunteers in tracing the familiesof the children and conducting home investigation andrepatriation of the children. Shakti Vahinis AntiTrafficking Initiative provides the children and womenwith basic legal advice after their rescue. For carrying outhome investigations, the team has to continuouslycoordinate with the District level management in thesource areas.

Home Investigations:Shakti Vahini conducts home Investigation of traffickedchildren on the orders of the Child Welfare Committees.Shakti Vahini Anti Trafficking Initiative also providesmonetary aid as well as residential support to the parentsof those children who want to come to Delhi and take theirchildren back. In other cases the children are repatriatedwith the help of police and social welfare department

officials.In cases where children and victims are sent back homethe Initiative ensures that the local NGOs and civil societygroups are informed so that the victim has a supportstructure in their home states also.

Working with the Railway Force and Government RailwayPolice:Traffickers use railways and bus terminals as main transitand exit points and transportation mode; this makes itimportant to have a strong partnership with the RPF andGRP. Shakti Vahinis Anti Trafficking Initiative has been

working in close coordination with the Railway PoliceForce and Government Railway Police. The wing of DelhiPolice which handles Railways and Crimes has beenadvocated with continuously for the smooth functioningof the police officials on the railway station. Thesensitization level among the Railway police about thehuman trafficking issues has increased which is leading toproactive policing.



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Court Intervention:The Anti-Trafficking Initiative provides legal support to the victims by agroup of lawyers. The Organization team members appear and testify inthe courts as witness on behalf of the victims and explains the situationto the courts. Shakti Vahinis Anti Trafficking Initiative has beenproviding legal support to trafficked victims and assisting the publicprosecutors.

Interaction with Statutory Agencies:The Initiative has built strong network with the National Commission forProtection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Govt. of India, Delhi Commission forProtection of Child Rights (DCPCR), National Commission for Women(NCW), Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), Child Welfare Committees(CWC). The Initiative has built good relationship with the Anti HumanTrafficking Units in all the 12 districts in Delhi, Some districts in WestBengal, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. Shakti Vahinis Anti TraffickingInitiative works in close participation with the Ministry of Home Affairs,Govt. of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Delhi,National Human Rights Commission. Initiative staffs have been a part offour enquiry teams of National Commission for Women and National

Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

This Initiative covers the Districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar,Uttar Dinajpur & Dakshin Dinajpur in West Bengal and District ofKishanganj and Katihar in Bihar in particular and several adjoining

areas including the sensitive border areas. Moreover, extensiveawareness campaigns in schools, at gram panchayat level as also withthe police officials have been undertaken. The Initiative is reaching outto vulnerable villages and spreading awareness and information onprevention of trafficking. This Initiative has also been working on thecross border regions of Nepal and Bangladesh. The Initiative worksclosely with various law enforcement agencies and border securityagencies to combat human trafficking. The Initiative is working in closepartnership with various law enforcement agencies and NGOs to collectinformation of missing children and women. On the basis of informationcollected the Initiative processes information to various destinationareas for search and rescue of Trafficked victims.

Promoting Exchange of information betweenNGOs for Rescue and Search:Shakti Vahini works very closely withvarious NGOs across the country for rescue,repatriation, rehabilitation and protectionof survivors. Regular exchange ofinformation about movement of traffickersand also location of victims are undertaken.

Shakti Vahini is also the founding memberof Cross Border Anti Trafficking Network(CBATN).

Strengthening and Partnership withCHILDLINE network:CHILDLINE, 1098 is a 24 hour freeemergency phone outreach service forchildren in need of care and protection. Thisprogramme is linking state Governments,NGOs, bilateral /multilateral agencies andcorporate sector. The Anti-Trafficking

Initiative has done advocacy with theCHILDLINE India Foundation and builtp artn ers h ip with th e CHILDLIN EProgramme in Delhi, Haryana, West Bengal,Jharkhand and Bihar.

Media Collaboration for Advocacy:The Anti-Trafficking Initiative has doneadvocacy with the print as well as electronicmedia. Media has been playing a pivotal rolein public awareness about the humantrafficking issues. Shakti Vahini organizes

advocacy meetings, press conferences andpersonal visit to various media houses andalso talks about burning issues like HumanTrafficking and its ramifications with themedia people. The news published in thevernacular language plays an importantrole to make the rural people understandthe issue of human trafficking.

Profiling of Traffickers:The traffickers arrested as a part of our raidand rescue operations have been profiled in

a database. As Human Trafficking is anorganized crime Shakti Vahini works toestablish link between the traffickers insource and destination. The profiling oftraffickers helps us as well as the lawe n f o r c e m e n t a g e n c i e s i n f u r t h e rinvestigation. In some cases it was foundthat the same traffickers are wanted in 3/4other cases as well. So, the profiling oftraffickers is of great help. The Initiative hasa list of traffickers with their address andother details.

ANTI TRAFFICKING AND JUSTICE INITIATIVE -West Bengal



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LEGAL AID AND SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH JUDICIALRECOURSE

Support to the trafficking survivors and their families Traffickingsurvivors once rescued are restored back to their families in remoteareas and when the cases come before the judicial system for trial it isdifficult to trace the victims. Shakti Vahini has in a number of cases

remained in touch with the survivor and their families and facilitatedthe process of rehabilitation and also for testifying before the trialcourts. We extend financial and logistical support to the survivors andaccompanying persons who come to Delhi to appear before Court. Incase the survivors are threatened by the accused traffickers or faceother kind of harassment/inability to adjust in their life, Shakti Vahiniwhen ever informed lobbies with the highest level police officialsconcerned as also with agencies like National Commission for Women,National Commission for Protection of Child Rights etc. Shakti Vahini

also connects the survivors with competent lawyers for availing legalassistance when ever needed.In almost all the cases of rescue Shakti Vahini staff has been madewitnesses to depose before the Court. The organization volunteers havebeen diligently appearing before various courts to assist the system indelivery of justice. Regular follow ups of the cases with the policeofficials and in courts are done. We facilitate availing benefits undergovernments compensation schemes for victims of trafficking andother crimes. Shakti Vahini has been actively involved with various

working groups and committees formed by government to monitor theimplementation of laws as also to suggest changes.

HIV/AIDS INTERVENTION INITIATIVE :With the support and funding by the Delhi State AIDS Control Society,Govt. of Delhi and National AIDS Control Organization (Govt. of India),Shakti Vahini started a long term STD/HIV intervention and preventionInitiative in the largest red light area in Delhi in the year 2001.The Targeted Intervention Initiative has been successfully reaching outto prevent further transmission of HIV/AIDS. The Initiative runs amedical clinic and also provides for ART facilities for the HIV Positive

women and children. The clinic also provides for HIV testing andcounselling centre. The Targeted Intervention Initiative being run at the

red light area is one of the biggestHIV/AIDS Intervention programmesbeing run in Northern India. TheInitiative also collaborates withNational Aids Control Organization andis also designated as a learning site.

CHILDLINE -GURGAON (1098)The Ministry of Women and ChildDevelopment, Government of India,recommended Shakti Vahini to runCHILDLINE service in Gurgaon Districtin the year 2006. Since then ShaktiVahini has been running the CHILDLINEservice in Gurgaon. The number (1098)is a toll free number which providesassistance for problems related tochildren 24X7. Not only emergencyneeds of children are addressed but they

are also linked to services for long termcare and rehabilitation. CHILDLINEGurgaon reaches out to children from 0-18 years and in extreme emergencies toyoung adults up to the age of 25. TheCHILDLINE Gurgaon intervenes in anaverage of 350 cases yearly.

Right to Information

Shakti Vahini has been running theRight to Information (RTI) campaignsince its inception. The organizationempowers the community people to fileRTI applications seeking informationand creates awareness regarding theprocedure for filing the application. Theorganization has undertaken severalcamps in the rural areas to educatepeople on the use of Right toInformation to bring accountability ingovernment schemes policies andprogrammes. Shakti Vahini uses RTI Actas a tool for collecting informationwhich is helpful in advocacy andresearch.

Media AdvocacyIn the prevention of Human Traffickingand Campaign to end violence againstwomen and children it is important thatin vulnerable areas the people are awareof the problem. At National level ShaktiVahini runs the National Media

Coalition a coalition of grass rootjournalists. The National Coalition ofwww.shaktivahini.org| 6


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Media Persons to Fight Against Gender Violence, HumanTrafficking and HIV/AIDS is a partnership initiative

between Media and Civil Society to commit themselves fora unified fight against some of the dangers that loom largeupon our society. The coalition is a step to join hands, andstrengthen and intensify the efforts of two importantstakeholders, in fighting injustice prevailing in society andin affecting transformation of society to a moredemocratic, rights based, just and equitable society. Thecoalition aspires to channelize and streamline theimmense potential of media power to inform, empower,train the masses to make them realize their Right claims

and Responsibilities so as to enable them to stand, andassert their Rights and claim justified position in

society as a valuable individual and responsible citizens.The national media coalition has undertaken variousworkshops and consultations with media personnelacross the country. The Coalition also runs a resourcecentre for collection of research and latest governmentdata on women and child rights. It also disseminates thedata and research with various journalists across thecountry for wider dissemination among generalpopulation.



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Interns and VolunteersShakti Vahini believes in Social Activism and is

engaged in motivating the youth to undertakesocial activities. Shakti Vahini has beensponsoring an annual debate competition onthe Women related issues in the Departmentof Social Work, University of Delhi. Theo r g a n i s a t i o n p r o v i d e s i n t e r n s h i popportunities to a number of students fromvarious social work and law colleges in Indiaand abroad. Research and documentation

The organization undertakes research on various socialissues like Human Trafficking, Violence against Women,Honour Killings, Missing Children, Health Issues etc. The

documentation centre at our office reviews various newsnetworks to document various cases of Violence againstwomen and children.

NATIONAL LEGAL RESEARCH DESK

The National Legal Research Desk is a outcome of lasttwelve years of intense activism and advocacy done byShakti Vahini in the field of Human rights, HumanTrafficking, Violence Against Women and Children etc. Theawareness on laws and access to justice remains dismal. Atthe district and the state level sensitivity on women rightsamong judicial officers, administration and the police is

very low. This leads to a situation where theimplementation of the law becomes difficult. The NationalLegal Research Desk (NLRD) has beeninstituted to strengthen the implementation ofthe laws related to Women and Children inIndia. NLRD focuses on documenting therecent changes in the law, collect and compilethe Recent Landmark Judgments of the

Supreme Courts of India & the High Courts and ensurewide scale dissemination of the same through thegovernment and the non-government machinery. TheNLRD works with Law Enforcement Agencies, PoliceAcademies, Judicial Agencies, Government Agencies,Statutory Agencies, NGOs, Civil Society and Mass Media inpromoting Access to Justice for Women and Children. TheNLRD website is a knowledge pool where all Laws,Judgements and Resource materials on Violence againstwomen and children in India are compiled.



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Fighting Honour KillingsIn Haryana, Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh the organization hasworked widely on the issue of Honour Killings which is a muchprevalent crime happening in the society. The organization hascampaigned widely on the issue of honour killings. It has undertakena research on the issue in collaboration with the NationalCommission for Women. Shakti Vahini has campaigned on the issue

of Choice of marriage and also advocated for change in law andstricter punishment in cases related to honour crimes. Shakti Vahinihas documented the cases of honour crimes since 2005. Theorganization has raised its voice and filed several litigations onissues related to violence against women and honour crimes. Womenare paraded naked, stripped, branded as witches, dayans, assaultedand tortured. Many a times this happens in full public view with thefull participation of community.

The organization has also filed a Public Interest Litigation in theSupreme Court to ask for the accountability of the State Governmentsin the cases related to Honour Crimes. In many of the cases the police

remain a mute witness to the crimes and seldom act against theoffenders. The organization has also advocated with the Governmentof India on creation of strict laws to combat honour killings and alsofor amending laws so that marriages according to the choice ofindividuals can be facilitated.

Use the Law

resist

VIOLENCEagainst women

Shakti Vahini website

In a bid to reach out to the masses we havemaintained a website which besidesdocumenting our efforts has ample material

in the form of videos and photos which notonly validates our work in the field but alsoforms an important part of informationoutlet.

Social Media and Shakti Vahini:

Shakti Vahini has a very strong presence inSocial media and utilises most of the socialmedia to spread awareness on the issuesrelated to violence against women and

children. The following are the various linksrelated to Shakti Vahini social mediainitiatives.



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Shakti Vahini is a non official visiting member at the Central AdvisoryCommittee on Prostitution and Child Trafficking, Govt. of India. ShaktiVahini has been proposed as a member on the Advisory body underSection 13 (3) (b) of Immoral Traffic Prevention Act 1956 by theGovernment of National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Shakti Vahini is one of the panel members appointed by the HonbleSupreme Court of India on Rehabilitation of Women in Prostitution. Thepanel is examining the issues related to Human Trafficking,Empowerment of victims of commercial sexual exploitation andeconomic rehabilitation.

Shakti Vahini is a National Level resource organization on HumanTrafficking for conducting training and sensitization of Law enforcementagencies.

Shakti Vahini has been recommended to conduct Police Station levelsensitization Programme on Juvenile Justice System in the East and New

Delhi district of Delhi.

Shakti Vahini has been part of various fact finding committees sent by theNational Commission for Women and The National Commission forProtection of Child Rights.

Our credentials



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Head Office :H-11, 2nd Floor, Hudson Line, Kingsway Camp, New Delhi-110009

Telefax : 011-42870188 E-mail : [email protected]

Web : www.shaktivahini.org

Shakti Vahini is a Registered Voluntary Organization with the Registrar of Societies Govt of NCT of Delhi

shakti vahini

Promoting and DefendingHuman Rights In India

Shakti Vahini Brochure 2013

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Transcript of Shakti Vahini Brochure 2013