1. 1|Page
An initiative
On
Development of Social Communication Tools for
Adolescent girls in rural areas
Of
Bengal
Vulnerable to trafficking
A communication for social change module
By

2. 2|Page
Content:
Serial Page No Content
No
1 3 Executive summary
2 5 Identification of stakeholders
3 6 Developing cohorts
4 8 Vulnerability mapping
5 12 Developing targeted IEC programmes
6 16 Way forward

3. 3|Page
Executive Summary:
Like in different pockets worldwide, human trafficking, especially girl child trafficking is a strong reality in West Bengal,
India. This issue does have empirical strength too. On the other side, counter human trafficking exercises are trying to
get their stake in the development programme. The tools used in counter trafficking programems as instruments are
multifold. Some of them are ‘best practices’ for others to follow also. Mostly in all counter trafficking programmes,
Information-Education-Communication (IEC) methods do have a strong stake holding. But the lower priority given to
communication progarmme historically, among other instruments, there has been hardly any discursive attempt to
structure counter human trafficking communication programme. There is also scarcity of ‘best practices’ in
communication as counter human trafficking toll internationally. This exercise aims at theoretically structuring,
implementing & monitoring counter human trafficking communication programme at grass root. This experiment
with a focus on communication for social change tries to set a benchmark in the programming, implementation &
monitoring social communication tools for adolescent girls who are trafficking prone. The exercise though happening
at the geographical ambit of rural Bengal, it aims at developing a generalized model on counter human trafficking
communication programme.
Lets suppose, Radha is a 16 year old girl from Kamalpur, one of the remote villages of South 24 PGS in West Bengal. She
is a school drop out at a very early stage for various reasons. Her family is one of the most impoverished families of the
village she lives in. She is the elder among three sisters she has. Money is badly needed in her family but she has no skills
to earn it. Panchayet in Radha’s village is not much working with respect to creating livelihood option for girls like Radha
and they have their own way of looking into issues of migration. The nearest Police Station from Radha’s village is 10
kilometers separated by two rivers. Radha has never been to city and she wants a way out from her situation.
Radha is a construct by the set of vulnerabilities prone to child trafficking. Radha might have other sets of vulnerabilities,
like malnutrition, sexual health, or cast related issues. But at this analysis, our ‘entry point’ to her life is those sets of
vulnerabilities which make her prone to human trafficking. Now a little analytical view into Radha’s situation will give us
an insight through which we can categories her vulnerabilities into two sections:
• One is the set of vulnerabilities which are stemming out from Radha’s own psycho-social & economic
needs. Towards these Radha has stake holding in the sense that she to a great extent can control these.
• Two is the set of vulnerabilities which are given to Radha’s life in the sense that those are out of her
control. Those are vulnerabilities which are constituted by the socio-economic-political-administrative
reality Radha is born into.
Like any other counter human trafficking programme, IEC progarmme needs to try to mitigate these two sets of
vulnerabilities to the minimum possible extent so that Radha does not get trafficked. And the agents of dissemination/
implementation of the programme are the civil society organizations primarily.

4. 4|Page
Aims reducing
Radha C Information
: owned
S Education
Vulnerabilities
O Communication
Outside
s
Programme
Methodology:
This exercise takes some very simple steps by asking two questions:
• Mapping the vulnerabilities owned by Radha can be done talking to Radha through some specific ways & thus
mitigating those through IEC can be treid. But how to map the vulnerabilities outside of Radha?
• Once the mapping is done, how can those be translated into IEC programmes?
Answers:
• We map vulnerabilities owned by Radha knowing from her. Thus this exercise aims at reaching the solution
through two step approach
a) Finding out agents who have stake holding into Radha’s life as far as trafficking is concerned
b) Then, by mapping issues from those stakeholders which makes Radha vulnerable
Thus any IEC project which aims reducing the set of vulnerabilities that constitute Radha, needs to travel through the
following steps
1. Identification of agents having stake holding in the lives of adolescent girls (Radha, here)
with respect to trafficking
2. Categorizing them into homogeneous groups
3. Vulnerability mapping
4. Developing targeted IEC programmes
5. Communication tools development
6. Monitoring & evaluation of IEC programmes

5. 5|Page
A step by step approach towards the communication process:
1. Identification of stakeholders:
Stakeholders in this initiative as identified by partner CBO s
1) Police
2) Family & neighbors (F&N)
3) Gram Panchayet Pradhan (GP)
4) Social Workers from other development fields (SWD)
5) Media (Md)
6) Ganapratirodh Committee – peoples’ resistance groups (PRG)
7) Religious Leaders (RL)
8) Survivors (S)
9) Marriage Registers(MR)
10) Political groups (PG)
11) Lawyers (L)

6. 6|Page
2. Organizing them into more homogeneous groups for better management
Impact indicator matrix as perceived by CBOs
Stake Holders TISM SSMS BUP CLH SBMS GSS
Police Good Good Moderate Moderate Little Good
F&N Little Little Moderate Little Little Good
GP Good Good Good Moderate Little Good
SWD Good Good Good Moderate Little Moderate
Md Little Moderate Moderate Quite Good Little Good
PRG Hardly any Hardly any Hardly any Moderate Moderate Moderate
RL Little Hardly any Hardly any Little Good Little
S Hardly any Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Little
MR Little Little Moderate Moderate Little Moderate
PG Moderate Good Moderate Good Moderate Good
L Little Little Little Little Little Little
Based on the above matrix followings are the indications:
On a scale projecting best to worst of the communication impact (the most effective communication happened to
nothing /little happened), the stake holders can be lined up as :
1. Gram Panchayet
2. Social workers from other development fields
3. Police
4. Political groups
5. Media
6. Family & neighbors
7. Marriage Registers
8. Religious Leaders
9. Laweyrs
10. Survivos

7. 7|Page
11. Gana Pratirodh Committee
Let us break the entire stakeholder matrix in two relevant sets:
3. Community (survivors, family & neighbors, marriage register, religious leader etc)
4. Policy influencers (Political parties, police, media etc)
Now it is very interesting to note from 1-5 falls under the second cohort i.e. “the policy influencers” & 6-11 falls
under the cohort “community”
Thus in terms of specifying the cohorts there are two effective cohorts to deal with
1. Community (survivors, family & neighbors, marriage register, religious
leader etc)
2. Policy influencers (Political parties, police, media etc)
These are the two cohorts assessing which communication planning can be done on two cohorts treating them as
targets in developing social communication tools for adolescent girls in rural areas of Bengal
3. Mapping the issues which create vulnerabilities

8. 8|Page
Through 6 workshops: 3 with ‘community cohort’; 3 with ‘Policy influencer cohort’
Community
1st Workshop
i) Friendship need of girls towards boys are putting them into greater risk of getting trafficked
ii) The search towards better living hence migration out of villages are putting girls into greater risk of
trafficking
iii) Girls have an active role in aiding & abetting trafficking
iv) Under age marriage of Girls by Muslim Law has nothing to contribute towards trafficking
v) Traffickers use marriage in general as a ‘rout pass’ for trafficking
vi) Since GP heads are not assisted with proper information on particular case on trafficking they fails
to tackle cases
vii) Families take much time in reaching to Police Station after trafficking has happened, puts police to
a helpless position to intervene
viii) Families take time to reach police in fear of social stigma
ix) Community should inform NGOs, Police, Cubs in case they find any unnatural activity in the village
to prevent cross border trafficking
2nd Workshop
i) Getting allured by the relatively rich lifestyle of neighibour put girls in vulnerable situation with respect
to trafficking
ii) Dowry is a big issue in promoting trafficking in poor areas
iii) Police inaction is very high on trafficking issues
iv) Not knowing local livelihood options increases the chances of unsafe migration
v) There are pocket areas from where girl trafficking is very high
vi) Private lawyers get paid from traffickers thus tries to save them
vii) Public Prosecutors take least responsibilities since victim families often leave the case in the middle
viii)Due to social stigma, once lost, girls’ families take lots time to reach police & hence reduces the chance
of getting the girl back
ix) Muslim religious leaders think under age marriage do not abet trafficking hence it gets support
x) Marriage registers are not that conscious towards the issue, so takes least responsibility

9. 9|Page
3rd Workshop:
i) Awareness on the local livelihood options for girls can reduce unsafe migration
ii) Radio based programmes are more effective than TV programmes
iii) In schools anti trafficking awareness among girls helps reducing vulnerabilities
iv) Under age marriage of Girls by Muslim Law has nothing to contribute towards trafficking
v) Curtain systems for women do good to women as Imams think
vi) Traffickers use marriage in general as a ‘rout pass’ for trafficking
vii) Since GP heads are not assisted with proper information on particular case on trafficking they fails
to tackle cases
viii) Families take much time in reaching to Police Station after trafficking has happened, puts police to
a helpless position to intervene
ix) Families take time to reach police in fear of social stigma
x) Community should inform NGOs, Police, Cubs in case they find any unnatural activity in the village
to prevent cross border trafficking
xi) Fake marriage registers & notary are doing marriages, leading to trafficking
xii) Dowry is a measure reason for trafficking
xiii) There are pocket areas of trafficking where awareness are low also
Policy:
1st Workshop:
• From bordering areas schools lot of girls gets dropped out regularly. Large section of them gets trafficked

10. 10 | P a g e
• From economically marginal sections lots of girls & boys gets trafficked due to job migration
• There are specific area pockets like Patla para from where regular trafficking happens
• Police inaction is very high with respect to trafficking complaints
• Political awareness is hardly present rather parties tend to guard traffickers
• Political parties hardly have any declared policy on trafficking
• Video parlour culture & porn culture in villages are influencing the menace
2nd Workshop:
• Cross border trafficking is high
• Trafficking for selling body parts are high
• From economically marginal sections lots of girls & boys gets trafficked due to job migration
• There are specific area pockets like from where regular trafficking happens
• Police inaction is very high with respect to trafficking complaints
• Resource constrain (expenses etc) on police is high in rural area PS
• Red tapism is presenting police action
• No police training has ever happened
• Current Law & order problems across the state are reducing focus on trafficking
• Political awareness is hardly present rather parties tend to guard traffickers
• Political parties hardly have any declared policy on trafficking
• Even if lawyers are aware, criminal lawyers for money support traffickers
• PP s failed to execute cases because of support from victim families
• Delay in legal process makes victim families helpless
• Especially Muslim & SC ST areas are more prone to trafficking
3rd workshop:

11. 11 | P a g e
• From economically marginal sections lots of girls & boys gets trafficked due to job migration
• There are specific area pockets like from where regular trafficking happens
• Resource constrain (expenses etc) on police is high in rural area PS
• No police training has ever happened
• Political awareness is hardly present rather parties tend to guard traffickers
• Police inaction has been effectively curbed with development of Pressure group (one UNIFEM Supported
Bhoruka Programme)
• Women groups from mass organizations & political organs are more effective in reducing the menace, but their
activities are on decrease now
• Even if lawyers are aware criminal lawyers for money support traffickers
• PP s failed to execute cases because of lack of coordination between victim families & them
• Delay in legal process makes victim families helpless
• Legal knowledge on the part of victim families are very important while dealing a case
• Especially Muslim & SC ST areas are more prone to trafficking
4. Developing targeted IEC programmes
IEC Programmes:

12. 12 | P a g e
Name of the CBO IEC activities for Girls IEC activities for IEC activities for policy
community cohort influencers cohort
NSS(Community Cohort) 1.Trainning at schools to 1.handbill, leaflets on local 1.
make girls aware about livelihood options available
school drop outs & for village girls 2.
trafficking
2. Group meeting with 3.
2. Awareness programmes Imam & other Muslim 4.
at schools on trafficking as a religious leaders to make
whole them understand the risks of 5.
underage marriage
3. interaction with survivors 6.
to understand the phases of 3. Street plays on the evils
trafficking of dowry in connection with
trafficking
4. drawing competition
among village girls on the 4.Meeting with
issue of trafficking administration & awareness
at community through
handbills & leaflets on the
risks of arranging marriage
with fake marriage registers
5. Play in the community for
building awareness on
reaching to police as soon as
possible
6. building awareness
among Public Prosecutors
on trafficking thorough
group meetings
GSS (Community Cohort) 1.play kits to clear the risks 1.leaflets & drama for RG 1.
associated while migrating party etc to make them
with un known or just understand migration is 2.
known person in for natural but it has to be made 3.
friendship, for better living safe & that they can do
or for something else 4.
2.Group meeting with Imam
2. interaction with survivors & other Muslim religious 5.
to understand the phases of leaders to make them
trafficking understand the risks of 6.

13. 13 | P a g e
3. Drama activity in a group underage marriage
by girls at risk to understand
the basics of trafficking & 3. wall writing to make
the benefit of group community aware of cross
cooperation border trafficking & to
develop the habit of
4.drawing competition informing police/clubs/ngos
among village girls on the if any unnatural activities
issue of trafficking are seen at the village
4. Street plays to make
guardians understand the
need of informing police as
soon as the missing happens
rather than waiting for long
in fear of stigma
5.intrerfaces between GP
heads & guardians, general
community to develop better
information coordination
6. Awareness drive for
lawyers
SBMS (Community Cohort) 1.Group activities to clear 1.meeting with religious 1.
the risks with dowry system leaders to make them
& its link with trafficking understand the risk of 2.
underage marriage & its link
2.dance drama with girls to 3.
with trafficking
make them understand the 4.
risk of migrating with 2.making guardians
unknown or little known understand the evils of 5.
persons dowry & its link with
trafficking 6.
3. Play kits to make girls
understand how to make 3.group/community meeting
migration safer s to make guardians
understand the risks of
unsafe migration
4. leaflets to guardians to
aware them on the need of
informing police as soon as
missing incident happens

14. 14 | P a g e
5. meeting with public
prosecutors for making them
more focused on trafficking
cases
BUP (Policy influencers 1. 1.developing pressure 1.
cohort) groups at community levels
2. to deal with administrative, 2.
police inaction on
3. 3.
trafficking
4. 4.
2.School level awareness on
5. drop out and trafficking 5.
6. 3.Road shows, street drama 6.
on trafficking at specific
pockets prone to trafficking
4.political advocacy meeting
with party higher ups to
make trafficking a priority
issue within the party
5. group meeting with local
political workers to make
trafficking an issue on the
road while campaigning for
other issues
6. developing community
awareness against video
parlour cultures at villages
7. police training at districts
on trafficking & related
laws
TISM(Policy influencers 1. 1.Polcie training / awareness 1.
cohort) building on trafficking &
2. the related laws for district 2.
police & specifically police
3. 3.
at the grass root level is

15. 15 | P a g e
4. highly required 4.
5. 2.required to develop 5.
community pressure groups
6. for dealing with 6.
administrative & police
inaction
3.Road shows at areas
having pockets prone to
trafficking
4.Group meeting with
political party heads making
trafficking a priority issue
5. advocacy for making
court cases on trafficking
quick like domestic violence
act
6.periodical meeting with
police higher ups to make
trafficking a priority within
the system
CLHS (Policy influencers 1. 1.Pressure groups at village 1.
cohort) levels are required to deal
2. against police & 2.
administrative inaction
3. 3.
2.street drama at pockets
4. 4.
having higher trafficking
5. cases on the reasons of 5.
trafficking & its fallout
6. 6.
3. meeting with political
parties making them aware
on trafficking as an issue
4.police training for grass
root police personals

16. 16 | P a g e
Way forward:
5. Communication tools development
Still this point the focus of the work was on
a) Developing a theory on counter trafficking communication initiative which will help describing for whom, why &
how any counter trafficking communication programme will run
b) Based on the theory developed, marking different stages towards developing communication tools in a target
specific way
Now the process has in hand knows the target, knows the reasons behind any particular tool development for a
particular set of target and most importantly knows the attitudes the programme will target. The process now has in
hands set of vulnerabilities as described above which has come out. Now the necessity is transforming these
perceptions into themes which will help developing the contents of the IEC tools suggested. Till this stage the pipe
lines for communication is ready. Now the need is to develop the specific contents which will be developed into the
tool
6. Monitoring & evaluation of IEC programmes
The main area of excellence of this model is that it succeeds in developing a casual relation between the IEC activities &
the parameters it aims changing at. Therefore this model helps developing a structure which can evaluate the efficacy of
the model based on the change in the strength of the parameters the IEC activities aimed at.
These two will come at the last stage of the Communication Exercise