3-day convention to address children's trafficking

Mumbai, June 28 (UNI) A three-day national convention to address the evil of women and children trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation will be held here tomorrow.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh will inqugurate the convention to be jointly organised by ''Save The Children India (STCI)-Save Our Sisters'', the Maharashtra Government and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

Maharashtra Women and Children Welfare Minister Harshwardhan Patil told reporters here today that an interaction between the convention participants and elected representatives will be held on July 2 at the Sahyadri Guest House to evolve ways to curb the evil.

''Nearly 20 lakh minor girls become victims of trafficking every year in the world and two lakh such cases occur in India,'' Mr Patil said quoting statistics.

He said the convention will provide a platform to local government leaders, NGO representatives, bureaucrats, and police officials from eleven states -- Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Meghalaya and West Bengal. There would be panelists from England, Bangla Desh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The valedictory address will be delivered by Union Minister of Women and Children Development Renuka Chaudhary.

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