Why is this work relevant for Direct?

The Lost Daughters focuses on an issue that has been prevalent for decades but there’s hardly any awareness about it. In India, when a woman is rescued from human trafficking, she is often abandoned by her family due to social stigma. Millions of women face this injustice and suffer in silence for years. Sanlaap, an NGO that rescues and rehabilitates women, wanted to highlight this issue and reunite rescued daughters with their families. This activation, in the festival pavilion, gave Indians a visceral experience and opened their eyes to the hypocrisy that was responsible for the plight of innumerable women.

Background

Human trafficking is the second-largest organised crime in India. An estimated 16 million women are victims of sex trafficking every year. Unfortunately, only 7% of them are ever rescued. Once rescued from human trafficking, these women think their trauma is over but this is only the beginning of their trauma. After the rescue, when the families are contacted, they often refuse to accept these women because of social stigma, patriarchy, and the fear of ostracisation. There are women who are abandoned by their loved ones and are living in despair for years. Some families refuse to even acknowledge the existence of their daughter and sever all ties with her. The Lost Daughters aims to draw attention to this cause and reunite these daughters with their families.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

Durga Puja, one of the largest festivals in the world, welcomes home the Goddess Durga like a daughter. According to Hindu mythology, the Goddess Durga is the daughter who visits her parental home and is welcomed with open arms. During this festival, countless pavilion-like structures called ‘pandals’ are constructed with the Durga idol. Millions of devotees visit these pandals (pavilions) to worship the idol and shower love on the proverbial daughter. But this year, we created an unprecedented pandal (pavilion) that had no idol. The Lost Daughters used this pandal (pavilion) without the idol of the Goddess to remind of the hypocrisy in India that welcomes the Goddess like the daughter but abandons daughters who were rescued from human trafficking. The empty pandal (pavilion) then went on to become the venue where rescued daughters were reunited with their families.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

India is home to over 1.5 billion people. Most of them are earnestly religious and love to celebrate festivals. Durga puja is among the most widely celebrated Hindu festivals in the world. The 10-day festival celebrates the homecoming of the Goddess Durga. The Goddess is welcomed home like a daughter. In 2021, Sanlaap wanted to use the backdrop of this festival to reunite rescued women with their families and increase awareness about this issue. During Durga Puja - a festival that welcomes home the Goddess like a daughter, The Lost Daughters activation reminded people of the social injustice that happens within their homes. This was the perfect time to start a conversation around this unjust practice that adversely affects millions of women and leaves them abandoned.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

The Lost Daughters Activation was launched during the Durga Puja Festival, in October 2021. The empty festival pavilion, without the Goddess, was witnessed by millions of devotees. Social media buzz and word-of-mouth ensured massive footfall to see the ‘Pandal without Durga’. Sanlaap, an NGO that rehabilitates victims of sexual abuse with their families, then identified rescued survivors of human trafficking who were abandoned by their families. The venue, then further became a neutral ground for a reunion, where these daughters came face to face with their families. Along with NGO workers, counsellors and human rights activists, they initiated a dialogue between these abandoned daughters and their families

List the results (30% of vote)

The empty pandal immediately garnered a lot of attention and became a talking point. In just 3 months, Sanlaap has successfully reunited 12 happy daughters with their parents. Sanlaap continues to raise awareness around this issue with regular conferences and awareness drives.

Please tell us about the social behaviour that inspired the work

Indians often hesitate to take the right step because of social stigma. The fear of being shunned by society dominates their judgment and their decision-making process. Every year, millions of women and girls become victims of human trafficking. Once they are rescued, they expect to return back to their homes and to their families. But, most of the time they are disappointed as their families refuse to accept them due to social stigma and the fear of ostracisation. In some cases, families refuse to have any contact with the daughter and choose to abandon her. In India, there are countless survivors who live with the trauma of being abandoned by their loved ones. These women live for years in shelter homes with the hope of being reunited with their families.