Survivors To Leaders

Human trafficking is a complex and lucrative criminal activity which preys on the socio–economic and political vulnerabilities of people. And trafficking of humans for various purposes has been on the rise mainly because perpetrators don’t face punishment, there is lack of accountability on the part of the authorities and the rehabilitative process for those rescued is not conducive for their socio–economic empowerment.

There is no concrete prevention and protection strategy in place and the current law, the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA) is not survivor centric. A lot needs to be done in a collaborative manner between key stakeholders, such as the Government and civil society organizations, for any substantial change to take place.

For long, policies and scheme for survivors of trafficking have been made without consulting them and understanding their life experiences. Neither these policies nor schemes have been evaluated to see whether they are benefiting the survivors for whom they are meant. We have been silenced, we are not heard or consulted, we are treated like hapless victims, our opinions have been ignored. Our potential for leadership is suppressed.

Therefore, over 2500 survivors of various forms of human trafficking from different parts of India, have decided to come together to form “Integrated Leadership Forum Against Trafficking”, a national platform which will unite their voices that would reach the policy makers, implementers, media and all other stakeholders in the anti-trafficking eco-system.