S3-Day 2: Unheard Voices: Women For Sale

Trafficking of women is the movement of women and girls from their safe zone to unsafe zone using violence, deception or coercion and exploiting them for financial or personal gain. It can also be defined as the abuse of power and exploitation of the weak by the strong. Women and girls are mostly trafficked for sexual exploitation and marriage where the sex ratio of women is less. Trafficking is the fastest growing organized crime and a worst form of modern-day slavery. 

I would like to share one story, once narrated by a girl I met. 

There was a girl from a dysfunctional family where abuse and violence were an everyday affair. Her stepfather used to sexually abuse her which she endured as her fate. As she grew, she fell in love with a guy who ignited the light of love and hope in her life. She felt loved like never before, because she was only tormented thus far. Therefore, when she found someone, her world changed. She wanted was to spend the rest of her life with a person one who promised her a glorious rosy life. They both planned and eloped one day. It felt like she went a thousand miles away from her nightmares of abuse, holding her dream of freedom with the one she loved. They spent that night together and the next morning she woke up to find herself, all alone, in a dark room. She was petrified. She burst into tears and crying for help in vain. Darkness surrounded her making her unaware of the outside world. Later, after a week a man entered the room while she laid on the ground in hunger and frustration. She cried to him for her lover. To her dismay, he was not there to help her. That man told her what was waiting for her next. Initially she denied and cried for help but there was no remorse. It was then that she realized, she was sold. Delicious food was placed on a table, but to reach that food she had to cross the man waiting to devour her. The only option for her was to submit to that man and agree to whatever he says, to feed her empty stomach. She was thus engulfed into sex-trade. 

This is one of the many stories that exist espousing how traffickers/pimps usually target the economically or socially vulnerable women who are trying to escape poverty, discrimination, violence in the family or having a history of child abuse etc. All these perpetrators are usually the ones known to them or someone who promises them a rosy life. The girls/women are then strangled in such a way that it becomes impossible for them to escape from the knot. After they are sold, their life is not in their hands. They must be submissive to the masters who bought them. 

Women are mostly objectified. They are thought as objects that can be bought, sold or destroyed. Sexual exploitation, physical violence and mental trauma are very common for victims of such objectification. They are stripped of rights over their lives and are compelled to do whatever their masters command. Trafficking is the violation of human rights and is illegal, though, it is an everyday event. Young girls go missing around us to which we turn a blind-eye. We judge the girl for whatever happens to her, be it rape, murder, trafficking etc. For society, it is always the “girl” who is wrong! 

As believers/Christians we need to be sensitive to all these issues and ask how Jesus would react to this situation if it happened around him. Would he fight for their justice or would he just talk about “personal” salvation when life is already a living hell for these women? We ought to support those working for such cause and fight till this brutality ends. 

The first step to fight against trafficking is to empower girls, make them emotionally strong, open opportunities for them, and teach them self-defense and teach your boys to respect women and seek their consent FOR EVERYTHING. Shall we begin here? 

Prayer 

God of love, we seek your justice for all the victims of human trafficking who are used as an object to be bought and sold. Give them hope and strength on facing all the hardships. And give us the heart to oppose such evils that happen around us. Lead us to work in all possible ways for their liberation. Amen. 

Author: Elishiba Sunar 

About Author: Elishiba, hails from Sikkim. She is a member of the Church of North India - Diocese of Eastern Himalaya. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Divinity at Bishop’s College. Her area of interest is Gender studies. She is committed to work for social justice.