Shakti Samuha is an organization that provides emergency shelter to trafficked women and gives them life skills, education, and vocational training. It was for this and its contribution to combating human trafficking that it was awarded the prestigious Magsaysay award for 2013. But very few people know that beyond its rhetoric of social change is a unique story. Shakti Samuha is the world’s first organization initiated and run by trafficking survivors. [break]
In a police raid in 1996, 500 women were rescued from different Indian brothels, of whom 148 were Nepali. Although they were freed from one hell, they soon found themselves in another. Since they lacked education and employable skills, most avenues of employment were closed to them. Also, family members were unwilling to take them back as they feared social ostracism. This is when fifteen of the rescued women decided to get together and start an organization to help others like them. Established in 2000, Shakti Samuha now rescues women from trafficking and provides them with education, financial and psychological support, and most importantly, a sense of belonging. All over the world, the recidivism rate of women rescued from sex trade is quite high: about a third of women go back because they simply see no other way to provide for themselves. This is where Shakti Samuha steps in, providing these needy women with alternatives.
Perhaps the programs of Shakti Samuha are so effective because its members intimately know the issues. NGOs are often accused of being more concerned with paperwork than with the people they are supposed to help. But since Shakti Samuha is founded and run by trafficking survivors themselves, it has been more able to direct its resources judiciously. The first-hand knowledge is of tremendous help. Experts working with stigmatized individuals know that such individuals find it easier to open up to someone who has been through the same fate before, fearing others will not understand them. This is why Shakti Samuha is able to reach out in a way that no other organization can. Also, Shakti Samuha envisions social acceptance for trafficking victims, which is a necessity in Nepal where thousands of women are trafficked every year and few make a successful comeback. It was almost impossible for them to fight established social norms individually, and Shakti Samuha’s network of survivors goes a long way towards helping its members gather confidence to do so.
We would like to congratulate this pioneering group of women who have gone out of their way to make Nepal a better place for many. We hope the Magsaysay award helps shed light on this worthy organization and inspires trafficking survivors to resettle in society and continue with their lives. Shakti Samuha has made Nepal proud, and we hope it proves to be an inspiration to others around the world. Already, Shakti Samuha is getting requests from other South Asian countries to lead an international network of trafficking survivors. Finally, we hope this award goes some way towards making our society more accepting of trafficking victims.
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