Hundreds of young women arrive alone at Mumbai train station daily from rural parts of India, having fled domestic violence, forced underage marriage, denial to education and forced household labour. We fund specialist workers to identify and intercept these women directly at the train station before they are approached and coerced by traffickers into a life of further abuse. They are taken to a safe place by workers where they receive practical, emotional, psychological rehabilitation & support
In India, almost a third of all girls are married before they are 18 years old and domestic abuse rates towards girls are high. Girls run away from home to escape forced labour, forced marriage, violence and denial of education. From rural areas, they have no knowledge of where to go when they arrive in Mumbai. They are vulnerable to falling prey to traffickers who wait in train stations to meet them. It is estimated there is an 8-second window between arrival and being met by a trafficker.
This project enables staff to wait on train platforms to meet vulnerable girls as they arrive. They offer them safety in a nearby shelter. The staff have developed excellent relationships with local police who also help identify girls and bring them to safety. Once in the project, they gain access to shelter, education, documentation, psychological rehabilitation, community, guidance on employment and support to move on from the shelter with aftercare provided, once they are stable and secure.
It is estimated that this year that this project will be supporting 150 marginalised, young women. It is projected that 50 of these girls will pursue education or vocational training, 38 will gain stable jobs and 100 will gain access to their documentation. Due to the complex nature of their needs and previous trauma, aftercare is available to girls who move on from the project. Some young women arrive with their children who are also provided with specialist childcare and support.
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