Team Goemkarponn
Goa is currently home to an uncomfortably high proportion of women and girls engaged in Commercial Sex Activity (CSA).
While Bardez continues to be the taluka with the highest concentration of sex workers, CSA has spread into non-tourist areas. Ironically, despite awareness campaigns to prevent CSA, the number of cases that Goa Police have booked against sex trafficking continues.
The Goa State AIDS Control Society (GSACS) reported that 6,425 female sex workers reside in Goa. These individuals are dispersed throughout Goa, according to GSACS data on CSA participants in 2024.
When Baina was closed, between 900 and 1,200 sex workers lived there, according to NGO Anyay Rahit Zindagi (ARZ). Today, the State is home to a sizable population of sex workers.
According to ARZ’s Arun Pandey, the reported number is significant and may perhaps be considerably higher. “Bardez is currently the hub of HIV cases, whereas Mormugao used to have the highest number. This fact is supported by the GSACS report,” he stated.
Pandey called for more caution, pointing out that the high concentration of CSA makes the local population more susceptible to infection.
“The demand must be addressed. Since the client is the main culprit, they must be dealt with. We cannot defeat sex trafficking unless we address the demand,” Pandey stated.
He emphasized the necessity of taking strong action against those who benefit from CSA, including pimps and those running websites that facilitate this trade.
“The action shouldn’t be directionless,” Pandey continued while discussing the enforcement of anti-human trafficking laws. Because poverty is so pervasive, more will be brought in if the girls are rescued without addressing the underlying issues.
A significant number of Goan women and girls participating in CSA in non-tourist talukas such as Bicholim, Sattari, Ponda, and Mormugao are also highlighted in the ARZ report.
Both victims from outside Goa who have relocated to the State and those who were born in Goa are found in these locations, which have greater concentrations of mines and businesses.
Even if a sizable amount of CSA starts in tourist-heavy regions, its reach has expanded outside these places thanks to internet and offline solicitation.
According to GSACS data, there are 801 sex workers in Tiswadi, 667 in Bicholim, 865 in Mormugao, 761 in Salcete, and 811 in Sattari who are registered with the organization.
“Human trafficking is a more complex crime compared to others, as it spans multiple States,” Pandey stated.
