We must all unite to liberate girls from sex trafficking

livemint.com:

reality of brothels, their dreams distorted into a chilling nightmare. With no escape, no qualifications and placed under gruelling conditions of gang-rape, blackmail and death threats, many are further conditioned into prostitution as they turn adult. Their liberation is possible.

Freedom has been obtained for thousands of girls being supported by the charity through rehabilitation, mentoring and education, all of which have helped them navigate their way out of their nightmare. This is only the beginning, as liberated girls can use their experience of trauma to help drive change. During my trip to India, I visited Free a Girl’s School for Justice, which trains survivors to become paralegals, lawyers and social workers—empowering them to change the system from within and foster lasting community change so that other girls can avert the same fate and more criminals face justice.

The only way we can tackle this international problem is through an international solution. That means we need a united and unwavering front of NGOs, legal experts, private agents and provincial and national governments. They must all work together to dismantle a shockingly widespread network of exploitation.

We can turn the tide against these criminals if we combine evidence gathering with intelligence inputs and join forces with police authorities as well as professionals in healthcare and social rehabilitation. Eradicating sexual exploitation is undoubtedly an arduous task. Yet, we owe it to victims ensnared in this grotesque web.