Ranchi:The Child Welfare Association, Jharkhand, organized a “Sakhi Samvad" (Dialogue with Women) programme to raise awareness about human trafficking, child marriage, and women’s rights. The programme was held at the premises of Saptrishi Seva Sansthan, Tupudana, Ranchi. The event was formally inaugurated by the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, Mrs. Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar, who attended as the chief guest.
Adolescent girls and women from various rural areas of Jharkhand participated actively in the programme and presented grassroots issues from their lives before the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women. During the interaction, participants openly discussed concerns related to human trafficking, child marriage, domestic violence, witch-hunting, girls’ education, and the challenges faced by orphaned and single-parent girls.
The participants shared that in many rural areas, women are still harassed and tortured after being branded as witches, incidents of domestic violence continue, and many girls are forced to drop out of school after completing Class VIII due to a lack of resources. They also informed that, through collective efforts at the village level, three to four child marriages are prevented every year; however, the lack of resources and institutional support makes this task extremely challenging.
During the dialogue, the women and girls sought guidance from the National Commission for Women on how rural women can seek assistance from the Commission in cases of domestic violence, how the Commission can support villages in preventing child marriage
and human trafficking, and which government schemes are available to support the education of orphaned and single-parent girls.
Addressing the gathering, Chairperson Mrs. Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar stated that the National Commission for Women is sensitive to the issues faced by rural women and makes every possible effort to ensure justice for victims. She urged women to remain aware of their rights, raise their voices against violence, and stand united against social evils such as child marriage and human trafficking.
She further noted that due to the relatively slow pace of development in forest and remote areas, children and adolescent girls from these regions are at the highest risk of human trafficking. Often, innocent children are trafficked under the false promises of education, employment, or a better future. In several cases, underage girls are also trafficked under the pretext of marriage, which is deeply concerning.
She warned that luring daughters and sisters with false promises of better opportunities is a serious social issue.
She appreciated the continuous grassroots efforts of the Child Welfare Association in addressing such sensitive matters. She also recalled that there was a time when society was unwilling to acknowledge the existence of human trafficking; however, awareness has increased, and people now recognize trafficking as a serious crime that requires collective action by society, administration, and civil society organizations.
The founder of the Child Welfare Association, Mr. Sanjay Mishra, stated that the organization has been working continuously for the past 30 years in Jharkhand in the areas of child protection, prevention of human trafficking, eradication of child marriage, and women’s empowerment. Through initiatives like “Sakhi Samvad,” the voices of rural women and adolescent girls are being strengthened by connecting them directly with policymakers.
More than 100 adolescent girls and women actively engaged in anti-human trafficking efforts participated in the programme. They are working collectively in their respective villages to combat social evils and promote awareness at the grassroots level.
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