Mar 15, 2021
Trigger Warning: this episode
talks about sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and slavery.
12 million people have watched the documentary “Caged until Broken:
Life for Mumbai Prostitutes” - a series where one woman goes
undercover to give voices to women who have been silenced, hidden,
and exploited as human commodities. Every year, NGOs estimate that
between 12,000 to 50,000 children are trafficked into India alone,
and that does not include domestic trafficking within the country.
This is a worldwide issue that is often overlooked.
I am privileged to be speaking with
the creator of that documentary, Hazel Thompson. She is a
photojournalist and filmmaker who has shed light on a dark and
hidden sub-culture of slavery and sex trafficking for almost two
decades. Her book, “Taken” has highlighted the experiences of young
girls forced into prostitution. Her work on social justice and
human rights is widespread and essential to awareness for these
women, children, and their stories.
In this episode, Hazel shares her
experiences of investigating the red-light district Kamathipura, in
Mumbai, India. She touches on the stories of women and young girls
who have been exploited in the sex industry, and the larger global
implications that go unknown to people every day.