As part of the screening, the women will now be asked about the place they intend to visit, the details of the employers and the terms and conditions of their jobs. The concerned authorities henceforth can even bar them from flying if their answers are unsatisfactory. Even the police have been given special instruction to keep vigil on women flying to Gulf countries.
Reportedly, some traffickers have already been nabbed after the TIA officers started acting on the government’s order over the past few days. For instance, 13 women en route to Kuwait were rescued by the police just on Thursday and three traffickers were arrested the same day. Clearly, a coordinated effort by the government agencies can yield surprising results in checking trafficking as is seen by the attempts of the officials in the last few days. Had the authorities shown same sincerity in fighting this crime just a few years ago, the trade might not have reached its pinnacle today. Our women in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates are facing severe hardships and are forced into prostitution. The exact number of women caught in the trade is yet unknown. But we surely know of cases where women have returned home scarred and with mental illness. However, a major blow to this flourishing trade will not come unless the authorities concentrate in bursting the network under which it operates worldwide.
It is high time that the government along with the NGOs working in this field realized that the solution is to nip it in the bud and not be satisfied by arresting one or two agents here and there. At the same time, the government needs to seek active support of the neighboring countries, especially India, to make effective anti-trafficking measures. In the last SAARC meeting, the head of the states had resolved to make this a top national policy priority, but the momentum was lost. We cannot afford to be silent spectators to such criminal activities. Nepal should take a lead role by initiating dialogues with the Gulf countries and the neighboring states to put an effective halt to the trade.
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