Thursday, May 12 2005 09:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Cautioning that trafficking for 'forced commercial sexual exploitation' was growing, the International Labour Office (ILO) has said that India and several other countries in Asia and Pacific region are struggling against both traditional and newer forms of bonded labour.

"Bonded labour remains a tragic reality for many of the poorest women, men and children in some South Asian countries. Trafficking for forced commercial sexual exploitation is growing," a Global Report under the Follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work 2005, has said.

According to the report, older manifestations of forced labour are transmuting into newer ones. Bonded labour, although still widespread in its traditional stronghold of agriculture, is increasingly found in other sectors such as domestic service, brick-kilns, rice-mills, mining and quarrying and carpet-weaving.

"Forms of coerced prostitution also prevail, as in the chukri system in Bangladesh and India, in which the young prostitute generally works without pay for one year or even longer, in order to repay a supposed debt to the brothel owner for food, clothes, make-up and living expenses," the report stated. In India, the Government's "central sponsored scheme" provides financial or in-kind grants to released bonded labourers and their family members, the report noted, adding over 2,85,000 people have benefited to date. Almost 5,000 prosecutions have been recorded so far under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act of 1976.