37% Children of CSE Women Drop Out From AP Schools

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

The study underlines that family and financial constraints force these children into labour for supporting their families.

The study titled – Situation of Education and Vulnerability of Children of Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation – had been undertaken by Professor Saraswati Iyer Raju of 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 between 11 years to 18 years.

Among the respondents, 37 per cent cited family problems and 21 per cent cited financial conditions for dropping out of school. The children also sighted societal discrimination and abuse among the major reasons for discontinuing their education.

Having dropped out, 47 per cent of children engaged in work, some of them balancing their work with education. The children work as helpers in shops, labourers, electricians, painters and mechanics.

Of the 53 per cent school-going children, only 56 per cent are benefiting from welfare initiatives, such as midday meals, educational materials and fee reimbursements. Significantly, 56 per cent children are participating in skill-building workshops, according to the study report.

Almost 83 per cent of children live with their parents, potentially exposing them to their mother’s profession, which could have psychological effects. 67 per cent of them do not know about sexually transmitted diseases (STD).

Nearly 24 per cent of the children reported inadequate access to food, clothing, shelter and clean drinking water, painting a stark picture of their living conditions. They reported facing stigma and discrimination from teachers, peers and neighbours due to their mothers' occupation.

Most mothers involved in commercial sexual exploitation are not solely dependent on sex work; many are engaged in other professions, including housekeeping, NGO work, construction, sales and other jobs to support their families. Seven per cent of the women suffer from sexually transmitted diseases. 28 per cent lack knowledge about STD.

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