AP Maliha Commission Chairperson Vasireddy Padma stressed the need for focus on illegal trafficking of women and sexual abuse during COVID times, to reach out to the vulnerable.
Ms. Padma along with several other experts took part in an online seminar conducted by the International Justice Mission (IJM) and the AP Mahila Commission on ‘Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act & Laws related to Trafficking’.
Ms. Padma said that migrant women workers face a lot of hardships due to lockdown and their issues have to be addressed. She said they should be given skill training.
Principal Secretary (Labour, Employment, Training and Factories) B. Udayalakshmi said that female migrant workers, particularly youngsters, would fall prey to men who trap them taking advantage of their poverty.
AP Mahila Commission Director R. Suez said that the government had taken up several programmes to bring back women migrant workers stuck in other States during the lockdown.
Nellore District Judge G.V. Krishnaiah, National Labour Institute (Ministry of Labour & Employment), Centre for Gender and Labour, Faculty member Ellina Samantroy, Madras High Court advocate Rajkumar and others spoke in the seminar.
The seminar was moderated and coordinated by IJM, Chennai zonal interventions head Alice Suganya and IJM zonal interventions (government and community relations) lead Gladys Finney.
