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Red Light Despatch Volume VIII, Issue 11 November, 2016

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Red Light Despatch Volume VIII, Issue 11 November, 2016 Apne Aap Women Worldwide—Organizing Communities to End Sex Trafficking Red Light Despatch Volume VIII, Issue 11 November, 2016 Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Forbesganj (Bihar) My Dream Mahila Mandal member adopts child of a trafficked woman To become a teacher -Icha — By Roshan Khatoon/ as dictated to Mohd Kalam Delhi: My name is Icha. I am Bihar: My name is Roshan Khatoon. band and provide shelter. aged 8 and living in Dharam- I am 32-year- old. I have joined Apne Earlier, I was married too. But, I was pura, Najafgarh. I belong to the Aap women group (self empowered tired of regular beating and decided Singhi caste. Earlier, I used to group) in 2009. Later, I learnt sew- to quit this kind of life and never to stay at home, like the other chil- ing and stitching at Apne Aap centre. marry again. Hence, I stayed alone. I dren of my caste, because ma- During this period, I met Roji Kha- gladly welcomed Roji to shift at my jority of the Singhi children still toon who was trafficked earlier then house. My neighbor protested against don’t go to schools. Instead, married with a boy living in the red- my decision to offer shelter to her, as they help their parents to earn light area. she is from redlight district. money for their survival. My Roji has learnt sewing and stitching However, we requested others to dream is to become a teacher. very well and started work with IGP be sensitive towards her need as My mother died two years ago. based organization. Where she earned Roji needed to escaped from the some money but that amount was not Since then, my father takes care brutality of her husband and enough to fulfill her basic needs. Her of me and my four sisters. I am she was also pregnant. They re- the second youngest. My older husband was jobless and depending fused to listen to me. sister goes to school, while the on pimping work from the red-light rest of us stay at home. This area. Roji’s husband also forced her I had to stand for her safety. year, things changed, Apne Aap into prostitution. staff enrolled me in class I in a One day Roji had shared her prob- Primary School nearby. Ini- lems with me. Then, she requested (Continued on page 6) tially, I was reluctant because I me to help her escape from her hus- am poor, and I thought the other Sit-in-circle with the mother of Munshiganj redlight area children at school might laugh at me. But when I attended the — Shanti Das/ as dictated to Laboni Basu classes for a few days, I liked everyone. The teachers were very supportive and I was able Kolkata: I am Shanti Das, aged 40 have made me realised that I, as a to make new friends. years. I had come originally from human being, have every right to Basirhat, Kolkata. I was cheated and share my views with others. And by Since my mom’s death, getting sold in Munshiganj by one of my attending such workshops on a regu- cooked food, to eat on time, was nearest relative. I have spent my 20 lar basis, I have observed a boost in also a dream for me. In my years in Munshiganj. I am one of the school, we get mid-day meals my level of self-confidence. The sis- active member of Apne Aap. with different food items. My ters working in the organisation teacher loves everyone equally. I would like to attend your meeting understands our pain and suf- I want to be like her when I because I am able to express my feel- ferings. Ruchira di has given me grow up, wearing suit and san- ings and observation by heart. By a new life. attending the meeting during the dis- dals to school. If I am able to I attend such meetings twice a month cussions I am able to go outside more fulfill my dream of becoming a in Munshiganj Centre. Earlier, I was often than usual days before. My life teacher, I will teach all children very unhappy as I was deprived from of my community and won’t let is nothing if not restrictions. I am other possible prospects in my life. them work as rag pickers, cob- encouraged to learn new things blers or anything else. I will and also educate others too. teach them to stand on their Even they will be able to learn own feet and earn for them- something from it. (Continued on page 7) selves and their families. The many sit-in circle discussion 2 Red Light Despatch ♦ Vol VIII, Issue 8 Op-Ed— Interview with Ruchira Gupta by the Urban Democracy Lab Ruchira Gupta is a feminist campaigner, writer, visit- come to the red light districts to buy girls. The other is ing professor at New York University, adviser to the that urban cultures are promoting a notion of masculin- UN, and founder of Indian anti-sex trafficking or- ity which is based on domination and violence against ganisation Apne Aap Worldwide. This interview was women. It’s being promoted. So, many men who are published in the Urban Democracy Lab. migrating to cities are feeling very dislocated from their roots, they’re not able to earn enough, they see women in jobs and they feel these jobs are being taken away by Your organization, Apne Aap, aims to end sex traf- the women. There’s a misogyny which is being bred in ficking. What broad strategies do you feel are neces- urban places, and that is coming out in all kinds of sary to move in the direction of meeting this goal? ways, including buying girls for sex. So, there is defi- [We focus on] the empowerment of girls and women nitely a bigger demand for buying sex in urban areas who are the most vulnerable to trafficking, which is than in rural areas, which is not to say that there is no women suffering from multiple oppressions or intersec- demand in rural areas. There is a demand in rural areas tionalities. In India, they are poor, female, teenagers— too. and low-caste. In America, they are poor, and female, How can people learn more about Apne Aap and and teenagers — black or Native American. So we contribute more to efforts to end sex trafficking and think that by organizing women and girls in collectives support The Last Girl? How can people engage in — small groups known as mandalas, or circles — they culture change regarding sex and masculinity? get the strength to fight against all the injustices im- posed on them. So, that is our first strategy. The second I would like people to like us on Facebook, as well as strategy is that we make sure that the women and girls follow us on Twitter because we constantly update dif- and their groups have a safe space to meet in. Safe ferent campaigns and interventions that we want people space is a very integral part of our strategy, so that they to join in over there. The other is to go to our website. [the women and girls] have a place where they can We have some resources for people who want to learn. share stories, cry, and laugh together, and know that it’s There is a video called Cool Men Don’t Buy Sex. They not the place of exploitation. It has to be within walk- could show that on their campuses, as well as videos able distance from wherever they are so they can go to about The Last Girl. We have a PayPal donation system it, and they know psychologically it exists. It does not set up on our website, so we seek funds urgently, all the have to be fancy; it can be a mud hut with a straw mat time, and we also want people to join our latest cam- on the floor, but to them it has to mean that it’s safe. paign against the legalization of child labor in India The other strategy is that most of the girls and women through the new child labor law. The campaign is on are undocumented either because they come from the Change.org. We want people to sign that petition to the poorest of poor communities and they’re low caste, or Prime Minister and Chief Justice of India, asking them black, or Native American, or migrants, or refugees— to not allow the legalizing of child labor, which is what and these are the vulnerabilities that traffickers or re- the new law in India has done. In terms of the campaign cruiters often take advantage of. So, one of our strate- on Cool Men Don’t Buy Sex, we are planning to create gies is to make sure that we teach the women political PSAs and put them out on TV channels and also to put skills to campaign for these documents. Our approach is them out on YouTube and to put it on different social a very rights-based approach. It’s a political approach, media and also regular media all over the world, so if and it’s based on linking to anti-poverty programs as anyone wants to make a video around the theme well as addressing the demand. We see the demand of of Cool Men Don’t Buy Sex, or take photographs sex trafficking as the root cause for prostitution, be- around that theme, we would welcome it.
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