As many as 7,000 women and girls are trafficked every year, just from Nepal to India. UNICEF estimates that around 200,000 are now working in brothels in India.
It is commonplace for these girls and women to be forced to have sex with up to 20 men a day.
Nepal is one of Asia’s poorest nations, and catastrophic disasters like the 2015 earthquake increase the risk of trafficking for already vulnerable families and girls.
Losing their homes and fearing another earthquake made girls easier to lure across the border.
Many more men, women, and children are trafficked from Nepal and other parts of India to be used as slaves in factories, never allowed to leave the premises, forced to work long hours in horrendous conditions.
The Dressember Foundation partners with the International Justice Mission to rescue these girls, among other people, who are currently enslaved across India.
IJM India specifically works throughout India with government officials and grassroots organizations to rescue and rehabilitate victims and prosecute offenders.
2 teenage girls were being held in a private residence and sold for sex on a daily basis. Being based in a private residence, rather than in one of the brothel hot spots, allowed their captors to hide their pimping operation from the police. With support from IJM, the local police were able to find and rescue these girls.
155 people were being held captive and forced to work in incense factories. Families were separated. They were trafficked from as far away as Nepal. With 24-hour surveillance and guard dogs, they were never allowed to leave, not even to sleep. Not that they had much time to sleep, as they were forced to work 20 hours a day, seven days a week. When not working, they shared a single room with only one toilet. Collaboration between IJM and local police led to the rescue of all 155 people, some who had been in slavery for three years.
IJM also provides legal support to fight for convictions of all those involved in trafficking and abusing people in India. Between IJM and governmental efforts, things are changing in India.
The justice system is taking a stand against these violent crimes, and IJM is providing the legal support to help convict these criminals. When men who used to be powerful are now behind bars, others will think twice about committing the same crimes.
IJM trains police and justice officials, empowers communities, and restores survivors:
This is the difference that is made when those with the freedom to do so,
take a stand against slavery.
When you donate to The Dressember Foundation, you become part of the reason that rescue and rehabilitation is brought to children and adults who desperately need it.
