Girls trafficked to bear male child: UN

New Delhi: Girls and women from West Bengal and Assam are being increasingly trafficked to states like

Punjab and Haryana where they are sexually exploited until they bear a male child, a UN report has said. "(There is an) emerging pattern of trafficking in girls from West Bengal and Assam to the more prosperous states of Punjab and Haryana, where the gender gap is most acute," said the "Human trafficking and HIV: Exploring vulnerabilities and responses in South Asia" report. The study prepared by the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) noted that the victims are being sexually exploited and "forced" to give birth to a male child. "The woman is either abandoned or passed onto another man after the birth of the male child," the study covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal said. The source of demand driving trafficking in young women arises from the prevailing gender inequalities in densely populated countries like India, namely the perception that a girl child is an "economic liability", it said. The report also noted that the extremist outfits in the country have "reportedly" begun recruiting boys aged between eight and 15 years to provide food and deliver ransom notes without arousing the suspicion of police. "The People's War Group (now Communist Party of India-Maoist) founded these organisations in an attempt to train children to resist police interrogation more effectively," it said adding, tribal girls are reportedly used as couriers in areas of Adilabad and Dandakaranya. Noting that India has a high rate of human trafficking, both internal and international, the study said that the situation in the country is "complex". "India is simultaneously a source, transit and destination country for women, men and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labour exploitation," the study carried out between 2004 and 2006 by local researchers said. The existing patriarchal system and the resulting unequal status of women render the latter vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking and HIV, it said. "Unequal gender relations leave girls and women with little choice or decision-making power regarding education, occupation and marriage. It also means that they have no power to negotiate safer sex practices, which increases their risk of HIV infection," the study said. The report also noted that young girls are procured through false marriage in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. "In all these South Asian countries, the main cause of increased demand for younger girl is the myth that intercourse with a virgin can cure sexually transmitted diseases," it added. Noting that South Asia has the second largest number of internationally trafficked persons in the world, it said about 1.5 to 2 lakh people from the region are trafficked annually. India and Pakistan are the main destinations for children under 16 years who are trafficked in the region, it said adding a large number of women from Bangladesh are forced to enter the sex industry in India, particularly in Mumbai and Kolkata. Women from Nepal are also trafficked to India for sex work, it said. Bureau Report