The Global Slavery Index 2018 estimates that on any given day there were nearly 8 million people living in modern slavery in India. The GSI 2018 reports an emerging trend in northeast India where organised trafficking syndicates operate along the open and unmanned international borders, duping or coercing young girls seeking employment outside their local area in to forced sexual exploitation. Many women and girls are lured with the promise of a good job but then forced in to sex work, with a 'conditioning' period involving violence, threats, debt bondage and rape.
Ganga was sold to a brothel and was forced to provide sexual services to men daily, contracting HIV during her enslavement. She was rescued in 2004 and tells of how she is coping with HIV.
I lost hope after I got HIV from a man who raped me. I thought it was better to die. I tried many times to kill myself. So the moment I came to this place, I realised how much God and these people love me and are so kind to me. And I realised this illness isn’t going to pass to anyone. I felt so good when I came here. I really found joy from God and now I am so happy.
Narrative produced and copyrighted by Jyra Films
