Between November 2020 and November 2023, law enforcement agencies identified 275 locations in Gujarat’s four major cities — Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara — where prostitution was reportedly being practised. During this period, authorities rescued 869 women from these sites, according to data presented by the state government during a recent assembly session.
Surat emerged as the leading city both in terms of the number of identified locations and women rescued, the data reveals.
However, experts argue that the figures significantly underestimate the scale of the issue. Sociologists and welfare advocates working with sex workers suggest the actual number of sites where prostitution occurs could be at least ten times higher than official statistics.
Gaurang Jani, a sociologist who has conducted research into prostitution practices, highlighted the changing dynamics of the trade. “Apart from two established red-light districts in Surat and Rajkot, the sex trade in Gujarat’s major cities often operates from rented or residential premises. Mobile phones and automobiles have transformed how prostitution is organised and concealed,” Jani explained.
The government, responding to an unstarred question by MLA Anant Patel, stated that rescued women are housed in 10 government-run protection homes and five additional centres managed by voluntary organisations. The women are also offered vocational training programmes, conducted in coordination with the Gujarat State AIDS Control Society (GSACS), to support their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
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