My Choices Foundation

Understanding Child Trafficking & Commercial Sexual Exploitation in West Bengal, India

Understanding Child Trafficking & Commercial Sexual Exploitation in West Bengal, India

Gaps in knowledge and risk perception on the child trafficking (CT) and commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) are among some of the key drivers for the continued exploitation of children in West Bengal, India, a new study shows. The study, “Understanding Child Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in West Bengal India”, was […]

Gaps in knowledge and risk perception on the child trafficking (CT) and commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) are among some of the key drivers for the continued exploitation of children in West Bengal, India, a new study shows.

The study, “Understanding Child Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in West Bengal India”, was commissioned by Seefar and My Choices Foundation and conducted by Sattva Consulting from August to December 2020. The study was conducted in three vulnerable districts in West Bengal, namely Bankura, Bardhaman and Birbhum.

Out of the 15 million victims of sex trafficking in India each year, up to 40% are adolescents and children, some as young as nine years old. West Bengal is among India’s most vulnerable states, with the highest number of children trafficked in India in 2016. The study found that individual factors such as chronic poverty, unemployment and the lure of a better life make children more vulnerable to child marriage, child labour and unsafe migration that could lead to CT and CSEC. Additionally, COVID-19 has fuelled cases of child marriage and school dropouts, triggered by financial pressures and increased harmful online practices, as children spend more time on the Internet.

If knowledge and risk perception gaps among children, families, and the wider community are addressed, CT and CSEC can be prevented. Seefar and My Choices Foundation have utilised findings from the report to inform their integrated campaign “Surokhito Gram Karyakrom” (Safe Village Program) launched in three districts of West Bengal in February 2021. The campaign aims to promote the role that children, families and the wider community, including teachers, health workers, police and Panchayat leaders, can play in ending CT and CSEC.

Surokhito Gram Karyakrom, which means Safe Village Programme in Bengali, will test the relative efficacy of varying breadth and depth of the intervention. This will be done through a spectrum of activities, such as school-based events, community-based events and one-to-one counselling. The interventions will take place over six months.

Surokhito Gram Karyakrom is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery.

About Seefar

Seefar is a social enterprise that provides opportunities to vulnerable populations to advance and enhance themselves and specialises in justice, migration and social inclusion.

About My Choices Foundation (MCF)

MCF is a locally rooted campaign and services network, dedicated to eliminating sex trafficking in India, with vast experience in programming with the local context in West Bengal.

My Choices Foundation

This post was authored by the My Choices Foundation communications team. Our mission is to keep you informed on the cause, and hopeful that transformation is possible one story at a time.

Share this story

Support Our Work

Your donations make it possible for us to give women and girls the choice to live a life free from violence and exploitation.

or sign up to our newsletter

Engaging Young Boys To Reduce And Prevent Gender-Based Violence

Engaging Young Boys To Reduce And Prevent Gender-Based Violence

“There are many NGOs working on women and girls’ issues, but I can’t recall any NGO that works with issues concerning boys. I feel the latter is very serious as well, one that calls for our attention, which is why I’m so happy to be part of this along with Aangan Trust and My Choices […]

“There are many NGOs working on women and girls’ issues, but I can’t recall any NGO that works with issues concerning boys. I feel the latter is very serious as well, one that calls for our attention, which is why I’m so happy to be part of this along with Aangan Trust and My Choices Foundation” says Rakesh, Young Host.

Youth Hosts who volunteered to be a part of the BoyTalk Project

As part of the BoyTalk Project, My Choices Foundation in partnership with Aangan Trust conducted a Master Trainer Programme for Youth Hosts on 16 and 17 March 2021. The aim of the programme was to facilitate comprehensive soft-skill development in young boys with respect to forming and sustaining group learning.

The BoyTalk project encourages young men to initiate conversations around toxic masculinity and gender-based stereotypes and understand how these preconceived notions can be harmful. Through conversations led by our Youth Hosts within their communities, young boys will be able to learn about healthy expressions of masculinity, how masculinity is a spectrum and will try to change the rigid gender narratives around “what it means to be a man.”

12 Youth Hosts attended the training programme. They gathered an in-depth understanding of key skills with the help of five states of the group learning process – forming, storming, norming, performing and grounding. At the end of the session, they felt confident about being able to coach and mentor adolescents.

If you would like to know more about the BoyTalk project, click here.

My Choices Foundation

This post was authored by the My Choices Foundation communications team. Our mission is to keep you informed on the cause, and hopeful that transformation is possible one story at a time.

Share this story

Support Our Work

Your donations make it possible for us to give women and girls the choice to live a life free from violence and exploitation.

or sign up to our newsletter

Sarita’s walk towards freedom

Sarita’s walk towards freedom

Sarita was married at 21. She didn’t know that her husband was an alcoholic when they got married. 11 years have passed with sleepless nights, broken bones and dried tears because of high levels of violence, harassment and abuse. When she was pregnant, she was badly beaten up by her husband and in-laws. Her mobile […]

Sarita was married at 21. She didn’t know that her husband was an alcoholic when they got married. 11 years have passed with sleepless nights, broken bones and dried tears because of high levels of violence, harassment and abuse. When she was pregnant, she was badly beaten up by her husband and in-laws. Her mobile phone and money were snatched and she was pushed out of her home in the middle of the night. With no money, she stayed by the door all night.

Hearing about the situation from neighbours, her parents arrived and took her to their place. After the delivery, the two families met and counselled Sarita’s husband. He assured both families that he wouldn’t be violent anymore. But it didn’t even last for two weeks. Sarita felt helpless and suicidal but accepted it as her fate. The situation worsened and she attempted suicide, but she was saved at the hospital. She moved to her parent’s home and found a job at a supermarket. Since her husband’s harassment continued, she approached a lawyer for help. But the lawyer took her money and disappeared. She was completely shattered and had no idea what to do next.

That’s when she came into contact with one of the PeaceMakers in the community. After hours and days of counselling, she understood the negative impacts of domestic violence – it was a journey of discovery as well as a ray of hope for her.

Sarita gathered courage and with the help of OPM’s legal team, filed a case of domestic violence and felt empowered enough to want to put an end to the relationship. She has taken steps to settle the matter amicably through mutual consent and is all set to start a new life free from violence, abuse and exploitation. Now, she lives peacefully with her lovely two daughters. She inspires women in her community to speak up against violence and shows that women can lead a peaceful life once we stand up for ourselves.

My Choices Foundation

This post was authored by the My Choices Foundation communications team. Our mission is to keep you informed on the cause, and hopeful that transformation is possible one story at a time.

Share this story

Support Our Work

Your donations make it possible for us to give women and girls the choice to live a life free from violence and exploitation.

or sign up to our newsletter

My Choices Foundation holds media sensitisation workshop on anti-child trafficking in West Bengal

My Choices Foundation holds media sensitisation workshop on anti-child trafficking in West Bengal

In an initiative to enable media to capture anti-child trafficking issues and pave the way to prevent child trafficking, My Choices Foundation conducted a one-day media sensitisation workshop at Birbhum, West Bengal on 8 March 2021. Lieutenant Dr. Hemanta Saha, Professor of Botany at Vidhya Sagar College in Birbhum inaugurated the programme and spoke on […]

In an initiative to enable media to capture anti-child trafficking issues and pave the way to prevent child trafficking, My Choices Foundation conducted a one-day media sensitisation workshop at Birbhum, West Bengal on 8 March 2021.

Lieutenant Dr. Hemanta Saha, Professor of Botany at Vidhya Sagar College in Birbhum inaugurated the programme and spoke on the importance of International Women’s Day, and how media can play a role in uplifting the lives of many women stuck in the clutches of trafficking. He appreciated the efforts of the My Choices Foundation’s work to end trafficking in West Bengal.

Vivian Isaac, the Programme Director of My Choices Foundation briefed the objectives of the workshop and management of Surokhito Gram Karyakrom (Safe Village Program in Bengali), anti-child trafficking campaign at Birbhum, Bankura and Bardhaman and sought support from the media fraternity for empowering the villages/communities on prevention of child trafficking and child sexual exploitation. He said, “The pen can reach where the sun cannot”.

Touching upon what child trafficking is all about, Soma Chakraborthy, Community-Based Organisation Liasion Officer applauded the journalists for their efforts and encouraged them to shape stories that point to solutions and counter misconceptions. She emphasised, “The story needs to be told in an informed voice grounded on empathy and sensitivity for the people to understand what trafficking is and why it must be eradicated.”

Adding a legal perspective to the programme, Ajjur Rehman, Public Prosecutor spoke about constitutional and legal dimensions and the existing laws under the Constitution of India. It was emphasised that stronger implementation of laws would be one of the pathways to end child trafficking.

If you would like to know more about the campaign/programme, click here – Media Kit (English), Media Kit (Bengali)

My Choices Foundation

This post was authored by the My Choices Foundation communications team. Our mission is to keep you informed on the cause, and hopeful that transformation is possible one story at a time.

Share this story

Support Our Work

Your donations make it possible for us to give women and girls the choice to live a life free from violence and exploitation.

or sign up to our newsletter