Child trafficking victim gets boost for her anti-trafficking struggle

Subhra Prasanta Das, SNS, Kolkata, 20 August 2014: Fatima Khatoon, a young woman who was trafficked at the age of nine and now an anti-trafficking activist, has participated in a television game show and won a sizeable amount of prize money.

She also won accolades from Amitabh Bachchan, the show's host, and actress Rani Mukherjee on the show for her vehement and relentless fight against trafficking of women. Her tale will be featured in an episode of the game show where Rani will make a special appearance before the release of her film Mardaani which is based on trafficking of women.

A beaming Fatima said today that it was a proud moment for her to share the stage with the actress who is cast as a tough cop fighting trafficking of women in her upcoming movie.

Fatima was born into the nomadic Nat community in Bihar and did not get any chance of education for herself due to abject poverty. She was trafficked under the cover of marriage to a man who was several years older. Soon after her marriage, Fatima realised that she had been "married" into a brothel and to a trafficker who earned his livelihood by trafficking women from outside.

She confronted her husband and in-laws, and even rescued a few women from the brothel. Fatima was beaten up and assaulted brutally by her husband and in-laws.

She got in touch with Apne Aap, an NGO that is involved with anti-trafficking movements in India, at Forbesganj in Bihar. There she enrolled herself in a literacy programme with Apne Aap and was assisted in developing leadership qualities. She started her first women's group at Forbesganj to rescue and help trafficked girls.

A mother of six, Fatima has rescued several girls and enrolled many of them in a local school. She expressed concern that traffickers are keeping an eye on her daughter and making attempts to keep her from school.

She wishes to raise her children and build a home for them with the prize money that she had won. The bold lady who raised a voice of protest and has been working continuously for the elimination of trafficking of women has won many hearts and appreciation following the show.