Datanomics: Women constitute 30% of trafficking arrests in India

Women are largely victims of immoral trafficking, yet they account for 30% of arrests, even as courts underline that adult victims cannot be detained under the law

On January 19, the Bombay High Court struck down an order mandating the one-year detention of an adult woman rescued during a police raid, ruling that a major victim under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, could not be detained in such a manner. Between 2015 and 2023, 17,261 cases of immoral trafficking led to 49,313 arrests, of which 30 per cent were of women. More than half of the human trafficking cases in India are linked to immoral trafficking, particularly sexual exploitation of women, with over 95 per cent of these cases still pending in courts as of 2023. 

 

Women’s conviction rate steadily falling

 

The total number of persons arrested for immoral trafficking has marginally declined from 5,407 in 2015 to 5,183 in 2023. During this period, the share of women convicted out of the total women arrested remained under 20 per cent.

 

 

Children exploited the most

 

Category-wise cases under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act show that procuring children for prostitution, detaining persons in prostitution premises, and engaging in prostitution near public places have been the most common crimes.

 

 

Coastal states den of violence

 

Coastal states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra recorded the highest number of immoral trafficking cases in India in 2023.