Activity

Rising Trafficking of Girls Through Forced Marriages
Bal Kalyan Sangh Event Chaired by NCW Chairperson Calls for Strong Action

Bal Kalyan Sangh, Jharkhand, organized a programme titled “Sakhi Samvad” (Women’s Dialogue) on Monday at Ranchi, with the objective of creating awareness on human trafficking, child marriage, and women’s rights.

The programme was presided over by Ms. Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women. Addressing the gathering, Ms. Rahatkar highlighted that due to lack of development in rural and remote areas, women and adolescent girls are at a significantly higher risk of trafficking. She expressed serious concern over the increasing trend of young girls being trafficked under the pretext of marriage, calling it a grave violation of human rights.

She urged women to become aware of their rights and to raise their collective voices against social evils. Ms. Rahatkar further stated that innocent girls are often lured with false promises of better education, employment opportunities, or a secure future, which ultimately results in exploitation and trafficking.

Mr. Sanjay Mishra, Founder of Bal Kalyan Sangh, stated that the organization has been working for over three decades in the areas of child protection, prevention of human trafficking, and women’s empowerment. He emphasized that Bal Kalyan Sangh has been making consistent efforts at the grassroots level to address trafficking and related vulnerabilities through community engagement, awareness, and system strengthening.

The programme witnessed participation from women and adolescent girls from various rural and remote areas of Jharkhand. Detailed discussions were held on issues such as human trafficking, child marriage, domestic violence, witch-hunting, girls’ education, and the challenges faced by girls from single-parent families.

Participants shared that even today, women in many villages face persecution on the pretext of witchcraft, while several girls are forced to drop out of school after completing the eighth grade due to poverty, social norms, and lack of support. A large number of women from remote areas attended the programme and actively participated in the dialogue, sharing their lived experiences and concerns.

The programme concluded with a collective resolve to strengthen community awareness, protect girls from trafficking and early marriage, and ensure access to education, safety, and dignity for every child and woman.

Bal Kalyan Sangh (BKS), in collaboration with the district administration and Mission Vatsalya, has undertaken a major initiative to strengthen grassroots child protection systems

across East Singhbhum. Through a series of structured trainings, more than 300 committee members from 35 Panchayats across Patamda and Ghatshila blocks have been trained to build strong, community-led child protection mechanisms.

These trainings focused on enhancing the capacities of Village Child Protection Committees (VCPCs) and Child Welfare & Protection Committees (CW&PCs), which serve as the first and most crucial layer of protection for children at the village level.

In Murhu region, committee members from 14 villages also received specialized training on identifying vulnerable children, understanding risks within families, and responding effectively to issues such as school dropout, early marriage, unsafe migration, child labour, and trafficking. Participants were oriented on conducting regular committee meetings, maintaining strong coordination with schools, Anganwadi centers, health workers, and Panchayati Raj representatives, and ensuring timely reporting of concerns to Childline 1098 or police authorities.

In Patamda Block, a separate session chaired by the Circle Officer highlighted the importance of combining education with value-based development to promote the holistic growth of children. Discussions included addressing challenges like mobile addiction, reduced social interaction, and increasing vulnerability among adolescents.

Through these combined efforts, BKS emphasized that community vigilance and participation are the pillars of effective child protection. Empowered committees are now better equipped to monitor risks, support families in distress, link children to government welfare schemes, and prevent harmful practices.

Bal Kalyan Sangh remains committed to working with Panchayats, frontline workers, and civil society partners to create safe, nurturing, and resilient communities where every child’s rights are protected and upheld.