Public Opinion is Clear: Urgent Legislation Required to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation! Read the story

Members

SANLAAP

SANLAAP’s campaign against trafficking includes the rescue and rehabilitation of victims of CSEC and prevention measures. SANLAAP works on a range of counter-trafficking activities, including campaigns, advocacy and sensitisation of various stakeholders on the issue of trafficking. It also focuses on the rescue, rehabilitation and socio-economic reintegration of trafficked persons.

STOP India

Since 1998, STOP India, otherwise known as Ramola Bhar Charitable Trust (RBC Trust), has been combating trafficking of children (both boys and girls) and women in the Indian sub-continent with a special focus on India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. STOP India is currently working with local residents of marginalised communities to improve child protection on digital mediums.

Child in Need Institute (CINI)

Child in Need Institute (CINI) is a registered national level non-government organization working with deprived communities since 1974 in India. CINI has received twice the prestigious National Award for Child Welfare in 1985 and in 2004. It is guided by its mission to ensure that children and adolescents achieve their right to health, education, nutrition, protection and participation by making duty-bearers and communities responsive to their holistic well-being. The institute now reaches more than 7 million people, directly or through partnership, in both rural and urban areas in the Indian States of West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Jharkhand. CINI has worked to influence policy at local, State, national, regional and global levels.

The CINI Method has been distilled out of nearly 50 years of practice with deprived communities, within the framework of international forward-looking thinking. It provides a methodological model to promote the adoption of a child rights-based approach to programming for children involving primary duty-bearers in the government, service provision and the family. Through this unique methodology, CINI provides preventive and participatory responses integrating interventions in the core areas of health, nutrition, education and child protection.

Facts

Child marriage is widespread in the country but its rates are reportedly declining by 2% per year. The State Government of Goa legislated the first act which defines major SEC manifestations, especially tourism-related abuse. India has specific legislation to combat child sexual abuse material and is one of the few countries where ‘child pornography’ has been defined.

Resources

ECPAT International & STOP India
Global Boys Initiative: India

Year: 2022

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ECPAT International
India – Country Overview

Year: 2021

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ECPAT International
India – Briefing Paper

Year: 2021

ECPAT International
India – Legal Checklist: Key Legal Interventions to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism

Year: 2021

Download
Down to Zero Alliance
Effective Ways to Engage the Private Sector

Year: 2019

Down To Zero Alliance
Background Paper: Effective Ways of Working with the Private Sector

Year: 2019

Stories

News from India

Indicators

Age of Consent

Partial

Age of sexual consent is 18 years. The national legislation does not provide for a close-in-age exemption.

Analysis of country legislation on age of sexual consent, 2024

Extraterritoriality & Extradition

No

Active extraterritoriality is provided for all offences in general as well as for crimes involving a computer system or network located in India. Double criminality principle is required.

It is unclear whether extradition applies to SEC offences. Double criminality principle is applicable in all cases.

SECTT Legal Checklist India, 2020

CSAM Definition

Not Yet Assessed

Background Check Required

Partial

There is a mandatory legal requirement for institutions housing children or whose staff is in regular contact with children, to do periodic background checks on every staff, teaching or non-teaching, regular or contractual or any other person being an employee of such institution coming in contact with the child. However, there is no law or legal provision that prohibits convicted sexual offenders from holding positions involving or facilitating contact with children.

SECTT Legal Checklist India, 2020

National Commitments

Partial

India has ratified the CRC, the OPSC, the Trafficking Protocol and the ILO Convention No. 182.

India has not ratified the OPIC, the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics nor the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote and Budapest Conventions.

SECTT Legal Checklist India, 2020

Child Advocacy Centers

Not Yet Assessed

SEC Police Unit

Not Yet Assessed

Protection Standards Travel and Tourism

Partial

India has implemented a national code for child protection in travel and tourism as a non-binding requirement for industry operators.

SECTT Legal Checklist India, Aug-20

Public SEC Case Data

Not Yet Assessed