Sex trafficking in India: 'Punish the offenders, not your daughters'

Only a few of the women and girls sold into sexual slavery in India are rescued, says non-governmental organisation SANLAAP. The country has a high incidence of trafficking both within its border - some reports say a child disappears every eight minutes - and from outside. High levels of poverty and lack of access to education contribute to the selling of children into sexual slavery, often via child marriages. Many of the survivors who are rescued are then rejected by their families because of the social stigma attached to their ordeal. This campaign aims to raise awareness by creating a traditional Durga Puja festival framework to re-unite such 'Lost Daughters': the annual Hindu celebration acknowledges the significant deity Durga as the victor of good over evil, also honouring her as a mother figure and protector. "We want everyone to welcome their daughters as they would welcome the Goddess," says SANLAAP, encouraging affected families to take the attitude of 'Punish the offenders, not your daughters'. What do you think of this approach to a taboo topic which causes such widespread suffering and disruption? Is this a sensitive and useful treatment of the kind of issue we all need to be aware of and able to discuss openly?

Keywords: SANLAAP 'The Lost Daughters', sex trafficking India, child marriage, taboo topics, sexual slavery, Indian culture, women and girls India, Wunderman Thompson India