Modern Slavery and a Group of Women’s Relentless Fight Against It
“Freeing yourself is one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self is another” – Toni Morrison
According to a shocking report published by the United States Trafficking in Persons, approximately 40 million people were pushed into forced labour in the year 2013 with more than 18 million of them being from India. 6000 victims were reported to be involved in the case of human trafficking, with sex trafficking and forced labour topping the list of crimes.
More than 94% of women who take up domestic work are either unpaid or underpaid and are often left behind when it comes to their social welfare and well-being. A similar situation plays itself out in the construction industry that employs women labourers on a per-day basis. Majority of the women working in this industry are unskilled casual labourers from rural and semi-urban areas. While the government formulated the Building and Other Construction Workers Act in 1996, to safeguard their rights and ensure their safety, the physical risk involved is extremely high given the deplorable conditions they work in.
It may come as a shock but after looking at the data and facts around us, it is safe to say that India is still gripped by the shackles of slavery with women constituting about 70% of the afflicted population. From bonded labour and child marriage to forced begging, women are thrown into this void with very little chance of ever leading a normal life again.
Such is the story of Jayashree Ponrajan who was separated from her parents as a teenager and forced to work in a mill in south India. After years of struggle, she found her way out of the bonded labour and has since strongly advocated against the recruitment of teenagers in Indian textile mills where they are forced to work in hazardous conditions. Ponrajan, then 14 and now 43, is also associated with CARE (Centre for Action and Rural Education) with whom she works as a field coordinator. Talking about this timely opportunity that came her way, she says, “I want to be heard everywhere and by everyone. For that I need to learn English and also be more aware of labour laws."
As someone who has been through it all, Jayashree Ponrajan became a part of a new initiative that rescues and trains girls and women who were trafficked and forced into labour. She recruited her own team of women survivors who stand together, shoulder to shoulder, to raise their voice against and work to abolish the practices in the textile industry. The program, Freedom Rising, is built under the existing work of Freedom Fund, a leader in global movement against slavery and human trafficking. It aims to help women look beyond their past and struggles, and move towards a better tomorrow. Their goal is to assemble a team of women survivors to lead a powerful anti-slavery, all-women movement. Claire Falconer, Project Head, explains that the initiative wants to "bring the lived experience of women and survivors to the anti-slavery movement."
The program aims to guide and empower 50 female leaders from different states with necessary skills, and seamlessly integrate them into the Freedom Rising network. According to the program structure, each of the women will undergo 12 months of leadership and technical skills training which focusses on their personal growth, organisational management, and movement building. This will in turn assist in strengthening the leaders’ network and help them be more actively involved in anti-slavery movements. After a rigorous and insightful year-long training, these leaders will then be introduced to the Freedom Rising alumni and will be given appropriate advice on how to corroborate better with national and international agencies to build meaningful connections. "Besides building the capacity of individuals, we want to change organisations culturally,” says Falconer.
Currently the program covers south India but the plan to expand globally and include countries like Nepal, Thailand, and Ethiopia is in the pipeline. Progress is visible as more and more women are joining the movement and recognising the need to create and implement stricter policies around bonded labour and human trafficking. Following the lead, several state governments have also joined hands to track down victims and help the community. It is endearing and emboldening to see everyone, from the victims to communities, come together to fight this social evil and address it from the grassroots.
(Edited by Varsha Roysam)
