Client: UNIFEM

A communication campaign on combating child sex tourism and   trafficking was undertaken in Goa during October’ 2005- February’ 2006 The findings were based on research conducted within the Goan society, which revealed that tourism is the backbone of the state’s economy and has a far-reaching impact on its socio-cultural life. One of the direct impacts of tourism is migration, not just from the rest of the country, but also from the neighbouring countries. Poverty, low level of awareness and the displacement of children, who come in search of a means of livelihood, make Goa an easy target for commercial sex tourism. The issue of paedophilia first came into focus in Goa in 1991, and it has been almost a decade since Interpol declared Goa an upcoming paedophilic destination. However, not much has been done to curb it.

Campaign Objective:

The campaign taken up by Metamorphosis aimed at making Goa a safe destination, one that is free of any kind of sexual exploitation of children.

The objectives were:

• To increase community awareness about child sex tourism
• To empower young children through awareness of sexual exploitation
• To monitor the implementation of the Goa Children’s Act
• To influence policy makers and those responsible for the implementation of laws and regulations on child sex tourism
• To motivate and facilitate NGOs to deal with children’s vulnerability, both physical as well as emotional
• To foster behaviour development leading to clean and non- exploitative tourism
• To promote a sense of self-efficacy, regardless of gender, class or ethnicity amongst children.
  

Creative Strategy and Communication materials:

The creative strategy of the campaign was developed keeping these objectives in mind. It comprised specific communication packages:

• Child-to-Child package
• Tourist package
• Community package
  

The Child-to-child package aimed at educating children with the help of illustrations and improvised comic books and empowering them with the help of schools and NGOs. The experiences of child abuse survivors were documented, and strategies were formulated for the prevention of child abuse, post-abuse care and rehabilitation.

The tourist package included in-flight films and advertorials, which focused on case studies of victims and child rights. Ticket folders, luggage tags, brochures and pamphlets, knob hangers, lobby posters, car and bike stickers and mobile public notices were included in this package. An exhibition of the comic books created in the course of the campaign was also held.

Press advertisements, hoardings at kiosks, danglers in photo shops constituted the communication package for the community.

COMBATING CHILD SEX TOURISM AND TRAFFICKING IN GOA PHASE-II

Client: UNIFEM

Phase II of the campaign was conducted during June-September 2006. The main emphasis was on training people who could carry the project further and give voice to the empowered children.

Creative Strategy and Communication materials:

The press advertisements depicted empowered children who are not vulnerable and can speak for themselves. Specific posters were developed for the village community with the aim of making them aware of the situation and helping them prevent the exploitation of children in their villages. The communication materials included two thirty-second spots:

• STOP PEDOPHILIA was aimed at the adult population and was an attempt to evoke their sentiments towards protecting and saving innocent children.
  
• CHILDREN SHOULD NOT GO WITH STRANGERS was targeted at children and informed them against the possible risk that they might put themselves in, if they associated with strangers.
  

The communication materials consisted of posters that depicted simple but effective messages. It also had the logo for the campaign. The caption ‘Our golden Goa, we empowered children’ became extremely popular in the region.

The attempt was to depict a group of empowered children capable of taking the situation into their own hands and spreading awareness among peers.

The message conveyed through the creative materials not only equipped the target audience with awareness but presented them with a clear line of action to follow. The method adopted in this campaign was more participatory in nature and was successful in mobilizing the people in combating child sex tourism.

• St Xaviers
• DM College
• Rosary College
• Salgaocar Law College

250 young people were trained in communication with the help of comics. Out of these, 45 were identified as master trainers and further trained other people in more workshops. These young people have formed a group called the Goankar Changemakers (people who will change Goa) and conducted workshops with the community to take the campaign forward.

An exhibition called Goankar Changemakers was organized in the Kala Academy, Goa where posters and booklets were exhibited. This exhibition was taken to all talukas in Goa, as a part of an initiative by the Goa Children’s Commission. 

A film titled ‘Goankar Changemakers’ was made to document the entire campaign. It showcased the initiative of the youth in Goa in creating awareness among the people.

Sustainance of the Campaign:

After the completion of phase II of the campaign with UNIFEM, Metamorphosis sustained the work through various initiatives which included (some of these are initiatives by the people):

• A mobile exhibition of the posters made by the students on issues focusing on child rights and safe Goa from 14th-20th November 2006. It was organized by the Goankar Changemakers along with the Goa State Commission for Children.
  
• Training with juvenile inmates at APNA GHAR.
• Workshops with people suffering from alcohol abuse at KRIPA and with street children at NEST.
• Posters put up at shacks, small shops and hotels along the beach--the response to these initiatives by the people, has been very encouraging.
• aw college students have done a commendable job in taking up this issue in the legal aid cells.
• A training program would be carried out in Dempe College of Arts and Commerce as well.
• Comic strips created during the campaign are being carried as a series in a local English daily.
• All the posters have been put together in two books and an attempt is being made to introduce the books in the school curriculum.This will facilitate the students in understanding and becoming aware of the issues concerned.

The posters and the booklets that were developed have been disseminated to the following groups:

• Various NGOs
• Government organizations
• Panchayat leaders
• Foreign tourists
• Indian tourists
• Travel and tour operations
• Various small hotel and shack owners
• Migrant children
• Young people
• Religious leaders

A communication workshop was conducted to develop innovative gender friendly communication material. A group of people were specially trained to conduct various workshops with students.