Stopping Trafficking of Women: Efforts by NAWO Orissa and Prerana Mumbai

Every year, thousands of women and girls in India fall victim to trafficking networks that exploit poverty, lack of education, and social vulnerabilities. While India faces significant trafficking challenges, grassroots organizations are fighting back with innovative strategies that combine prevention, rescue, and rehabilitation. Two such organizations stand out for their groundbreaking work: the National Alliance of Women’s Organisations in Orissa and Prerana in Mumbai.

Understanding the trafficking crisis in India 🔗

The scale of trafficking in India is staggering. Estimates suggest over 2 million women and children are trafficked for sexual exploitation into red-light districts across the country. The problem is deeply rooted in systemic issues including extreme poverty, limited economic opportunities, and gender discrimination. Women from marginalized communities, particularly from states like Orissa, West Bengal, and Bihar, are especially vulnerable to traffickers who use deception, false promises of employment, and even arranged marriages to trap their victims.

Recent government reports highlight that traffickers exploit women through debt-based coercion and take advantage of porous borders with Nepal and Bangladesh. The situation is further complicated by inadequate law enforcement, with many states reporting zero convictions in trafficking cases despite numerous arrests.

NAWO Orissa: Grassroots campaigns against trafficking 🔗

The National Alliance of Women’s Organisations in Orissa has been at the forefront of anti-trafficking efforts in one of India’s most vulnerable regions. Their approach goes beyond simple awareness campaigns to address the root causes that make women susceptible to trafficking.

NAWO identified four high-trafficking districts in Orissa: Kendrapara, Balasore, Malkangiri, and Nayagarh. Their research revealed that poverty and patriarchal pressures around expensive marriages create conditions where trafficking becomes a desperate solution for families. Women from these areas are trafficked to states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Gujarat, with approximately 80 percent ending up in Uttar Pradesh.

The Jagyaseni campaign 🔗

Working alongside partner organization Narishakti, NAWO launched the Jagyaseni campaign to systematically address trafficking through workshops and training programs. The campaign’s philosophy is particularly noteworthy: while firmly opposing trafficking, it refuses to restrict women’s mobility or aspirations for better lives. Instead, Jagyaseni demands safer migration options and addresses trafficking within broader socio-political and economic contexts.

Innovative awareness methods reach communities 🔗

NAWO recognizes that traditional awareness campaigns often fail to reach rural communities where trafficking is most prevalent. Their solution involves culturally relevant communication strategies that resonate with local populations.

Folk media and public events 🔗

The organization uses traditional folk performances like ‘Pala’ and street plays to communicate anti-trafficking messages. During major festivals such as the Car Festival and Baliyatra, NAWO sets up information stalls where they disseminate materials about trafficking laws and the importance of compulsory marriage registration. This approach meets people where they already gather, making information accessible without requiring separate attendance at formal meetings.

These culturally appropriate methods prove especially effective in rural areas where literacy rates may be low but oral traditions remain strong. The use of folk performances allows complex legal information to be conveyed through familiar cultural forms that communities trust and understand.

Engaging youth as prevention partners 🔗

Understanding that sustainable change requires next-generation involvement, NAWO organizes district-level youth camps in collaboration with colleges across Orissa. These camps serve dual purposes: sensitizing young students to the realities of trafficking and recruiting committed volunteers for prevention work in vulnerable rural areas.

By targeting college students, NAWO creates a network of educated young people who can serve as bridges between urban awareness and rural vulnerability. These youth volunteers often have connections to rural communities and can communicate prevention messages more effectively than external authorities.

Prerana Mumbai: Breaking cycles in red-light districts 🔗

Prerana was founded in 1986 in Kamathipura, then Asia’s largest red-light area, with a bold mission to end intergenerational prostitution. Nearly four decades later, the organization has transformed thousands of lives through comprehensive interventions that address every stage of the trafficking cycle.

Prerana’s work is distinctive for operating directly within Mumbai’s red-light districts including Kamathipura, Falkland Road, and Vashi-Turbhe. Rather than viewing these areas from the outside, Prerana embeds itself in communities, building trust with women in prostitution and providing practical pathways out for their children.

Multi-pronged service delivery 🔗

The organization employs three interconnected strategies: direct service provision for victims, policy advocacy at state and national levels, and legal activism to strengthen protections. This comprehensive approach recognizes that individual services alone cannot solve systemic problems without simultaneous policy reform.

Prerana has provided comprehensive care to over 15,000 children born in red-light areas and has rescued 1,487 girls aged 14 to 17 from sexual exploitation since 2013. These numbers reflect not just rescue operations but sustained engagement with families and communities.

Education as liberation 🔗

At the heart of Prerana’s prevention strategy lies education. The organization runs Night Care Centers that provide safe shelter for children during evening hours when red-light districts become most dangerous. Over 7,000 children have accessed these facilities, receiving not just physical safety but also nutrition, healthcare, education, and recreation.

Breaking the cycle through institutional placement 🔗

For children whose mothers want them completely removed from red-light environments, Prerana operates an Institutional Placement Program that secures admissions in residential schools and provides ongoing support. The organization carefully selects institutions, conducts regular follow-up visits, and maintains mother-child connections through organized meetings and counseling.

This approach recognizes the complex emotions involved when mothers choose to separate from children for their protection. Rather than simply removing children, Prerana supports mothers through difficult decisions and ensures placements preserve family bonds while providing safety.

Legal activism creates systemic change 🔗

Beyond individual services, Prerana engages in class-action litigation to clarify laws protecting minors. In a landmark 2002 case, Prerana successfully petitioned the Bombay High Court to protect rescued girls from being returned to brothel keepers. The court ruled that no magistrate can exercise jurisdiction over persons under 18 and established procedures for age verification and appropriate care.

The organization also campaigned against beer bars used for solicitation and prostitution, recognizing how certain business establishments facilitate trafficking networks. Additionally, Prerana has trained over 2,071 police officers and 1,798 judicial officers since 2013, building capacity within the system to better identify and protect trafficking victims.

Challenges and ongoing work 🔗

Despite their successes, both organizations face significant challenges. Government reports indicate that acquittal rates for traffickers remain high at around 73 percent, and official complicity in trafficking continues to be a concern. Limited resources, slow judicial processes, and inadequate implementation of existing laws all hinder anti-trafficking work.

However, the sustained efforts of organizations like NAWO and Prerana demonstrate that comprehensive, community-based approaches can make real differences. By combining awareness, education, direct services, legal advocacy, and policy reform, these organizations address trafficking from multiple angles simultaneously.

What do you think? How can communities better support organizations working to prevent trafficking? What role should education play in breaking cycles of exploitation and empowering vulnerable populations to make informed choices about their futures?

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_trafficking_in_India
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_trafficking_in_India
3. https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/india/
4. https://nawoodisha.org/Programme_campaigns.asp
5. https://www.preranaantitrafficking.org/
6. https://sherloc.unodc.org/cld/case-law-doc/traffickingpersonscrimetype/ind/2002/prerana_versus_state_of_maharashtra_and_ors.html
7. https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-trafficking-in-persons-report/india/