37% of children of CSE women leave AP schools

Vijayawada:A study by the AP State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR), in collaboration with NGO HELP, has found that 37 per cent of children of women victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) have dropped out of school in the erstwhile Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh.

The research shows that these children are forced to work to support their families due to financial and family constraints.

The study titled – Situation of Education and Vulnerability of Children of Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation – was conducted by Professor Saraswati Iyer Raju from the Department of Sociology and Social Work at Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) in collaboration with APSCPCR and HELP NGO from September 2023 to November 2023. The researchers studied 60 households, 20 each in the three districts. The children of CSE women ranged from 11 years to 18 years.

Among the respondents, 37 percent cited family problems and 21 percent financial circumstances for dropping out of school. The children also cited societal discrimination and abuse as the main reasons for dropping out of school.

After dropping out, 47 percent of the children went to work, some of them combined their work with education. The children work as helpers in shops, laborers, electricians, painters and mechanics.

Of the 53 percent of children in school, only 56 percent benefit from welfare initiatives such as midday meals, educational materials and reimbursement of school fees. Interestingly, 56 percent of children participate in skills development workshops, the research report said.

Nearly 83 percent of children live with their parents, potentially exposing them to their mother’s profession, which can have psychological consequences. 67 percent of them do not know what sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are.

Nearly 24 percent of children reported inadequate access to food, clothing, shelter and clean drinking water, painting a grim picture of their living conditions. They reported facing stigma and discrimination from teachers, peers and neighbors because of their mothers’ professions.

Most mothers involved in commercial sexual exploitation are not only dependent on sex work; many are engaged in other occupations including housekeeping, NGO work, construction, sales and other jobs to support their families. Seven percent of women suffer from sexually transmitted diseases. 28 percent do not know about STD.

The study recommended that the state government prioritize access to education and skill development opportunities for such children. It wanted such families to be informed about social welfare schemes available to them and legal protection available to their children.