A girl who was trafficked at the age of 18 now runs a poultry farm and supports her family.
The woman, now 23, was lured with the prospect of a job as domestic help, a trap she fell for because financial constraints at home were making it difficult for the family to make ends meet.
After months of being abused, both mentally and physically, she was able to alert the security guard of the building where she was kept confined. Police rescued her, she said.
Five years on, she runs a business of rearing and selling chickens and makes about Rs 20,000 a month.
Despite threats and intimidation, she had given testimony in court against the trafficker and put the accused behind bars.
“It is difficult for anyone to go through what I went through. But having been able to put it all behind me has made me a happier person today,” she said.
Last week, she was felicitated at a programme by Inner Wheel District 329 for her “exemplary courage to fight against sexual abuse and for her outstanding contribution to women’s empowerment”.
The woman started the poultry business in South 24-Parganas district towards the end of 2021 and now funds her brother’s education.
Their father, who worked in a brick kiln, abandoned the family. She had to quit studies for want of funds, she said.
It was then that she started looking for a job.
“I was kept in an apartment, almost locked in a room. One day I was able to alert the security guard of the building,” she said.
After that she was rescued by police and her rehabilitation and restoration was handled by International Justice Mission.
The ordeal did not end with the rescue. She was threatened so that she did not pursue the case.
She held her ground and gave testimony in court.
“These are stories of women who have had the courage to fight back and we acknowledge her grit. She was able to come out of the stigma and face an audience with her story. The fact that she could re-establish herself despite being trafficked makes her a victor and an example to many,” said Sumita Roy, one of the organisers of the programme that feted this woman from South 24-Parganas and others.
“I used to think that I would not be able to stand onmy feet and become economically independent, but I am able to do that. I keep telling other girls in my village that they have to be careful so that they do not fall into a trap,” the proud poultry owner said.