LIFE OF CHILDREN IN BROTHELS (PARENTAGE OF CHILDREN, EDUCATION AND DISCRIMINATION)
AUTHOR – PIYUSH SINGH* & DEEPANSHI SINGHAL**
* LAW STUDENT (FINAL-YEAR B.A. LL.B.) – ASIAN LAW COLLEGE, NOIDA
* ADVOCATE – BAR COUNCIL OF DELHI
BEST CITATION – PIYUSH SINGH & DEEPANSHI SINGHAL, LIFE OF CHILDREN IN BROTHELS (PARENTAGE OF CHILDREN, EDUCATION AND DISCRIMINATION), INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (11) OF 2025, PG. 744-751, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344
ABSTRACT
Prostitutes have always been an unrecognised and taboo social group. Their community is often stigmatised and they seldom receive any aids or that would benefit them and wholly improve their lives. Because of the widespread, negative stereotypes surrounding the brothel industry, this line of work receives very little attention from the rest of society, even though the profession is legally recognised in India. Children are also a part of this defenceless group, who end up therein, owing to a variety of circumstances. Some are born into such a life, while some are forced into human trafficking and others, due to lack of sense of identity. The life of children in brothels is a distressing and complex issue that demands urgent attention and intervention. This research paper attempts to shed light on the lives of children born and raised in India’s red-light brothel districts, and examines three critical aspects of their existence, from a socio-legal point of view: parentage of children, education, and discrimination. To begin with, significant difficulties arise with determining the paternity of the children born in brothels. The paternity of these children is typically unclear or unknown, and their mothers are frequently exploited sex workers. There is a vicious cycle of vulnerability and social exclusion that is perpetuated when children do not have access to secure and supportive parental figures. Secondly, children who are raised in brothels often have their schooling seriously disrupted. Because of their marginalized status and the inherent stigma connected with their situation, these kids face considerable challenges in receiving formal education. The cycle of sex labour and poverty that these children are born into is only reinforced by the lack of education they receive. Lastly, the prejudice and discrimination that these children face is the final straw that pushes them over the edge. These kids are often treated harshly and excluded from mainstream society because of the stigma attached to them. They are frequently denied the opportunity to get healthcare, protection, and social inclusion. More often than not, they remain undiscovered and unacknowledged, since no one has ever visited there other than aid workers and government officials. They are already extremely vulnerable, and discrimination makes it much harder for them to stop the cycle of exploitation. It will take diversified strategies to improve the conditions under which children in brothels live. Protection and rehabilitation of these children must be top priorities, and they must have access to secure, nurturing environment. They need to have the opportunity to receive education so they may build the foundational skills and knowledge they’ll need to succeed in the future. Also, awareness campaigns and advocacy work are needed to change the way people in general see these kids. The first step in securing the bright future of these children is acknowledging they exist. It is only by concerted effort and comprehensive strategies that we can hope to make a difference in the lives of these vulnerable children and end the vicious cycle of exploitation and exclusion from which they suffer.