JVI is pleased to announce the release of our latest publication: Advocating for Citizen’s Rights, A Manual for Bihar (2020 Edition). This manual is part of a series of toolkits JVI has created to provide individuals, NGOs, and lawyers information and practical tools to advocate for citizens’ rights in a variety of areas – from securing basic identity documents and government benefits in the areas of food, jobs, education and health care to protecting other human rights. JVI publishes these manuals for states across India and will continue to expand the regions covered in the future. There are two versions of this manual, a standard version designed for use by the general public and a more detailed lawyer’s version that includes case law and practice forms.
Bihar is one of the poorest states in India and a major source and destination for human trafficking. The magnitude of human trafficking in Bihar is alarming. According to official sources, 4,000 children are trafficked in Bihar every month.* Bihar also serves as a transit and destination state for trafficking of women and children from Nepal and Bangladesh for sexual exploitation. Widespread poverty in Bihar makes families vulnerable to being exploited through various forms of forced labour. Other contributing factors are lack of education and literacy among the children due to their need to drop out of school in order to help support their families. These vulnerabilities are further exacerbated by caste-based discrimination, unsafe migration, unequal treatment of women and girls, apathy, corruption and natural disasters like flooding.
*https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bihars-sold-children-villages-despair-over-rescue-735884
