Modern slavery: The Indian village where child sexual exploitation is the norm
Many families in India still
mourn the birth of a girl. But when Leena was born, people celebrated.
Sagar Gram, her village in central India, is unique that way. Girls
outnumber boys. When a woman marries, it is the groom’s family that pays the
dowry. Women are Sagar Gram’s breadwinners. When they are deemed old enough,
perhaps at the age of 11, most are expected to start doing sex work.
India officially abolished caste discrimination almost 70 years ago.
But
millennia of tradition is not easily erased. For most Indians, caste still has
a defining influence on who they marry and what they eat. It also traps
millions in abusive work. The exploited and trafficked children of Sagar Gram,
and dozens of other villages across India’s hinterland, are one of its most
disturbing manifestations. “It is caste and gender slavery,” says Ashif Shaikh of Jan Sahas, an
advocacy group that works with members of India’s lowest castes, communities
that used to be called “untouchables”. “We estimate there are 100,000 women and girls in this situation. But
there are likely more we haven’t identified. It’s an invisible issue.”
Girls in Sagar Gram grow up hearing a story. Sometime in the misty past
of Hindu myth, a king fell in love with a dancer. His enraged queen issued the
woman with a challenge: if she could walk a tightrope across a river, she could
join the royal family, and permanently raise the status of her caste.
As the woman neared the opposite bank of the river, a step from success,
the queen suddenly cut the rope. “Up until now, we lured your men through
dancing,” the woman told the queen. “From now on, we will take your men from
you with our bodies.”.. read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/jan/14/indian-village-where-child-sexual-exploitation-is-the-norm-sagar-gram-jan-sahassee also
