Combating Child Trafficking for a Sustainable Future: A Case Study of Women-Led Initiatives from Dooars, West Bengal

Abstract: According to the NCRB report for 2022, there were 29 incidents and 49 victims under 18 years of age trafficked in West Bengal, part of a total of 343 cases of 741 victims across India. Child trafficking remains a significant human rights challenge in the Dooars region of West Bengal. Factors such as proximity to the international border, structural poverty, tea garden closures, seasonal unemployment, and educational exclusion have contributed to the Dooars becoming a major source area for trafficked children and adolescents. In recent years, women-led community initiatives, particularly grassroots volunteers, have played a vital role in the prevention, detection, rescue, and post-rescue rehabilitation of victims. This paper presents a case study and evaluates the effectiveness of women-led anti-trafficking initiatives in providing community-based protection. The paper argues that sustainable anti-trafficking strategies in the Dooars must incorporate women’s leadership, livelihood security, education, and institutional coordination. A case study research design was employed for an in-depth analysis. Primary data were collected through interviews with women anti-trafficking activists, community groups, government officials, and from governmental reports. Secondary data sources included books and academic journals, with the collected data analysed using a coding technique. The findings reveal that the root causes of child trafficking in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts include the smuggling of children across borders for forced labour, prostitution, organ and skin trafficking, domestic servitude, and various forms of sexual exploitation. This study highlights the philanthropic role of women activists in preventing trafficking through awareness generation, rescuing trafficked children, providing post-rescue counselling for the physical and mental well-being of victims, and aiding in their rehabilitation and reintegration.