Study maps new route; calls for coordinated action between Goa and Maharashtra
PANAJI
After districts like Mumbai and Sangli, Solapur has now emerged as a new source point from where young women are being allegedly trafficked to Goa for commercial sexual exploitation.
A study conducted by NGO Anyay Rahit Zindagi (ARZ) stated that a persistent and organised trafficking route between Solapur and Goa has come to the fore, even as the numbers are not alarming in the present circumstances. The NGO had in July released another report that 158 vulnerable girls and women from 16 districts of Maharashtra were trafficked to Goa over the past decade, making the State one of the leading sources of victims involved in commercial sexual exploitation.
Meanwhile, the latest study by ARZ -- while setting up a livelihood initiative in Mapusa -- was discussed during a consultation program in Solapur. The NGO conducted the study on 58 women who are currently engaged in commercial sex work in North Goa.
“Most were between 19 and 25 years of age, of whom the majority are from Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal. While some had arrived in Goa recently, others had been living here for years. Many were found to be supporting their families back home by sending money regularly,” reads the report that also highlighted the dire state of most women who came from broken or economically distressed families, were either school dropouts or had studied up to graduation, and were drawn into the trade by peers during times of financial crisis.
ARZ Director Arun Pandey said that before entering sex work, most of these girls from Solapur had been employed in catering units, beedi factories or massage parlours; and earned Rs 600 to Rs 1,000 per customer after being forced into CSE. “Many are still sending a portion of their earnings to their families,” he said.
ARZ has called for a coordinated response between Goa and Maharashtra authorities to break the trafficking chain. The NGO has recommended awareness campaigns in Solapur, stronger inter-state information sharing among law enforcement agencies, and home investigation reports to aid survivors’ reintegration. It further suggested measures such as enabling video conferencing for victim testimonies, ensuring timely compensation, and filing criminal cases against traffickers in their native districts.
