State level Consultation on Migration with special focus on adolescent girls & young women in Odisha to textile industry in Tamilnadu
Bhubaneswar (18/11/2024): A State level consultation on migration with special focus on adolescent girls and young women in Odisha to textile Industry in Tamilnadu was organised by Centre for Social Education and Development, Tamilnadu in cooperation with networks like National Action & Coordination Group for Ending Violence Against Children (NACG - EVAC), Odisha Alliance for Child Rights(OACR), Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL- National) to end forced migration of adolescent girls and young women held at Bhubaneswar on Monday. Ranjan Kumar Mohanty, Chairman OACR welcomed all dignitaries and chair the inaguaral session.
C.Nambi , CSED shared the objective of the consultation that it is a joint effort of network of NGOs of two states Odisha and Tamilnadu to workout strategy for safe migration.
A total of 55 representatives of NGO networks from both the states participated in the workshop to develop an action plan to prevent forced migration of children and ensure safe migration for women especially.
In the inauguration session Dr.Laxmidhar Mishra, former Union Labour Secretary and former senior advisor to ILO highlighted on the gaps in present law and protection mechanism and suggested bold action for government and NGOs for protection of migrants from exploitation.
He suggested some pragmatic actions like ensuring minimum wage by central government, compulsory registration of migrants, national functionality of ration cards of migrants, activation of seasonal hostels for children of migrants and effective Information, Education and communication strategies to be worked out by NGOs to educate the migrant for safe migration.
Prakash Ratha, Convenor, NACG-EVAC, Odisha, P.Joshep Victor Raj, former national convener, CACL and Pradip Behera, ADARSA, Odisha facilitated the technical sessions.
Umi Daniel, Director, Aide-et-Action highlighted on the need for ensuring social security of migrants nationwide.
C.Nambi and M.Baskaran from Centre for Social Education and Development, Tamilnadu presented on the issues of inter-state migrants at destination place-textile industries at Tamilnadu like poor living and working conditions, long hours of work, low wages and non-compliance of legal rights.
Umesh Prohit , former State Convener, CACL, Odisha shared about the challenges in rescue and rehabilitation of child labours in the state of Odisha.
Anuradha Mohanty, Executive Director, PECUC shared the learning from project on preventing forced migration of children in two Gram panchayats in Rayagada & Nabarangpur districts.
The NGO networks of Odisha and Tamilnadu together developed an action plan to map the vulnerable pockets of migration, developed of strategies for preventing distress migration including and protective strategies at destination points and the need to work in co-ordination with respective state governments.
Ranjan Mohanty, Chairperson concluded the consultation with a suggestion to come together at both source and destination and work intensively with Gram Panchayats and as well as government protection mechanism to protect children and adolescents from exploitation.
Bhaskaran, CSED extended the vote of thanks to all the resource persons and participants for significantly contributing for success of the consultation and future course.
