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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Section 370 not for voluntary sex work: Verma panel -Rakhi Chakrabarty

Section 370 not for voluntary sex work: Verma panel -Rakhi Chakrabarty

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published Published on Feb 12, 2013   modified Modified on Feb 12, 2013
-The Times of India

Justice J S Verma Committee did not intend to include sex workers who are in the profession out of their own free will. Sex workers have been protesting against the committee's recommendations, accepted by the government in the proposed Section 370 in the ordinance on the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2012, which defined prostitution as exploitation.

The National Network of Sex Workers had sought a clarification from the panel while urging President Pranab Mukherjee to reject the ordinance as it criminalizes sex work.

Justice Verma Committee responded on Friday spelling out that its recommendations for amendment to Section 370 was aimed at protecting women and children from being trafficked.

"It is also clarified that the recast Section 370 ought not to be interpreted to permit law enforcement agencies to harass sex workers who undertake activities of their own free will, and their clients," wrote Abhishek Tiwari, counsel to the committee.

This comes at a time when the women and child development ministry (WCD) is reportedly pushing amendments to the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act that would make buying sex illegal and punishable. A panel to review the amendments proposes to punish clients to criminalize demand with a view to check human trafficking.

Meena Seshu, a social activist with the National Network of Sex Workers, said, "The ministry is mixing up trafficking and prostitution. Instead of rooting out trafficking, it is moving towards abolition of sex work."

This harms a large number of people who are voluntarily involved in sex work. Legal activist Vrinda Grover said, "If we are serious about stopping trafficking, sex workers need to be at the centre of the initiative."

Seshu, too, believed help of sex workers is needed to weed out trafficking. "Instead, sex workers are ignored and exposed to harassment by police and goons," she said.

The Times of India, 12 February, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Section-370-not-for-voluntary-sex-work-Verma-panel/articleshow/18455924.cms


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