Rally on World Day Trafficking in Persons on 30th July ’18, at Canning:

Human trafficking is a crime that exploits women, children and men for numerous purposes including forced labour and sex. The International Labour Organization estimates that 21 million people are victims of forced labour globally. This estimate also includes victims of human trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation. While it is not known how many of these victims were trafficked, the estimate implies that currently, there are millions of trafficking in persons victims in the world. Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit, or destination for victims. Children make up almost a third of all human trafficking victims worldwide, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. Additionally, women and girls comprise 71 per cent of human trafficking victims, the report states. Since 2015, Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre the social development wing of  the Loreto Sisters is intervening in the area of Anti-human trafficking i.e. one of the key source areas of Human Trafficking in Canning 1 Block. KMWSC has been generating awareness on Anti-human trafficking through sensitization campaigns, training and workshop with stakeholders at various levels, alongside doing networking and advocacy with Police, govt. departments, CHILDLINE etc. Rescue, restoration and Rehabilitation of trafficking survivors are also an important component of the project. In 2016 KMWSC has also an initiative through skill development programs at Canning for the under-privileged women and adolescent girls. Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre expanded its area of intervention on Anti-Human Trafficking in Diamond Habour Block-1 with support from British Deputy High Commission of Kolkata. The intervention is preventive model through sensitizing the community people on human trafficking issues, child marriage and other related factor responsible for Human Trafficking. Since the inception of the project on Anti-Human Trafficking, Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre-Loreto is celebrating the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in Canning with support from Police, Gram Panchayats, Local administration, Childline, Mothers Group, Adolescent Girls Group etc. This year also i.e. in 2018, Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre-Loreto (KMWSC) will be conducting a Mass Rally on 30^th July ’18 like to ensure the goal i.e. call for an end to human trafficking and violence against children. The rally will start from BDO Office Canning and it will end in Canning Police Station. The timings of the rally are 10:00am to 01.00pm. We are expecting approx 500 participants from the community. It is expected that 500 people will be part of the rally.  Sr. Monica Suchiang, Director KMWSC will lead the rally along with her team to generate mass sensitization on Anti-human Trafficking movement across the world. The Dignitaries hosting the rally will be:

1. Bruce Buknell, British Deputy High Commissioner of Kolkata
2. Ananya Chakraborti, Chairperson, West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Govt. of West Bengal
3. Sandip Mandal (Addl. SP from Baruipur Police District)