PANAJI, July 25: Goa should take the lead in dismantling the Indian Christian Divorce Act which is discriminatory against Christian women in the country, former Chief Justice of India, Justice Krishna Iyer suggested here last night.

Speaking at the two-day conference on National Consultation on Sexual Exploitation of Children, he said, Goa which had sizeable Christian population, could tell the Centre to do away with this colonial law which had no business to be there on the statute, especially in this 50th year of the country's Independence.

Chairperson of the National Commission for women Dr Mohini Giri, disclosed that nearly 60 per cent of the total 50 lakh commercial sex workers in the country were minors between the age of 10-17 years. Establishment of legal mechanism, responsive policies, education and counselling, health, rescue and rehabilitation are among the measures recommended by the Commission to combat sexual exploitation of children.

Giri said the Commission had also approached the villages to urge the panchayats to stop sex trade in villages, and nearly 180 villages had been covered under this programme.

She also said that the commercial sex workers in the red light area of Baina in Mormugao, had filed a petition before her organisation on the State Government moves to chase them out of the area, and a show cause notice would be issued to the State Government on this matter.

Her own fact-finding is that the prostitutes are ready to leave Baina and the profession only if there are suitable arrangements for their rehabilitation. She said the Commission was against the Government move to drive away prostitutes from the red light area, and had suggested alternate packages to rehabilitate sex workers.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.