Lecture Critique

Amongst the lectures presented, my favorite one was about Sex Trafficking in India presented by Dr. Dionne Stephens. This research was conducted on 15 rickshaw drivers who were at least 18 years old, experience working as an autorickshaw driver in India, and experience working with sec workers through autorickshaw career. Research was conducted by PHRII staff Rashmi P and Fasila Begum. 

 

According to the UN Protocol to Suppress and Punish Trafficking 2000, 2021, sex trafficking is defined as “the recruitment, transport, transfer, harboring or receipt of a person by such means as threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud or deception for the purpose of exploitation”. Terms such as commercial sexual exploitation, sex work, formal and informal providers, NGO, and Anti-human trafficking service organization were presented to us. Such terms were defined to understand the presentation and its use in abbreviated terms. 

 

As terminology got explained, Dr. Stephens then transitioned into explaining societal gender expectations. According to gender roles in the Indian patriarchal society, women must nurture and care for household duties while men must marry and provide for all welfare of all dependents of the family. Often, sex trafficking is perceived as a “women’s issue”. However, because of the perception of women in a country such as India, it is almost impossible for women to stand up for themselves. This creates a society of maintaining male domination and female subservience. Assuming gender role expectations limits women’s safety and ability to support themselves. Additionally, gender roles restrict economic opportunities for women. Male-dominated jobs and non-traditional jobs for females are still off limits in various areas. Research showed in extreme cases where husbands created debt, women sought out sex work as their primary source of resolving. 

 

In the patriarchal society, women are blamed for what they wear. A certain dress or shirt that is considered ‘revealing’ will be at fault for the cause of ‘attention seeking’, when a piece of clothing should not even be considered as a luring act. In India, sex trafficking carries an immense stigma. Communities and families will turn away loved ones or friends due to generalization made upon this subject. Because of this, many survivors refuse to reunite with their families. According to testimonials, the government is not living up to the support needed to ameliorate the situation. Survivors feel as if they [the government] turn ‘a blind eye’ to a severe circumstance. To my own surprise, anti-human trafficking service organizations were also considered harmful and unsafe. These organizations often made the same false promises given to survivors by traffickers. I quickly noted that not all organizations follow through with genuine care. In fact, these organizations were formed to put survivors once again in the same exact cycle they were once on.            

 

When it came to the notorious rickshaw drivers, they also took part in the sex trafficking industry. These men often presumed an uncalled special bond in the lives of the sex workers. As the main form of transportation around India, rickshaw drivers played a key role. There was a similarity in circumstances between both subjects which stemmed a feeling of mutual empathy. Their main source of transportation transformed into not only a driver but also an emotional and social support. Often, sex workers will openly discuss their personal lives with drivers. So much so that these drivers give unsolicited advice and even encourage sex workers to a better source of income. Additionally, they would often agree on favors and grew to depend on each other. 

 

I was astonished at the results of this research. I had an idea of what type of culture India held; however, attending lectures opened my eyes to information I could never imagine. Not only are women assumed a role where they have no say in society, but also are given an oppressed role they did not ask for. Learning about circumstances in other countries has humbled me far beyond words. As a student, I have the opportunity to do something over this matter. I am privileged to live in a country where gender roles are not as normalized and there is more freedom. Finding out about a topic like this grounded me to realize there are so many things going on in the world that I don’t know about. I hope in my future endeavors to educate myself and possibly solve or improve any similar situation.

 

 As a developing nation, India has yet to assess this ongoing issue. As traditions take a backseat, there is only room for improvement. Women are conquering stereotypes and elevating equaling gender norms. Women empowerment is slowly but surely rising!