I am very excited to be working on this short film project with Terre des hommes foundation in India. We are currently running a fundraising campaign, Any support you are able to offer will assist us to create an effective tool, countering the stigmatisation faced by survivors of trafficking: https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/still-i-rise/
Namrah the Brave survived being trafficked, but now she faces stigma - how will she rise up and own her name?
Girls from West Bengal are among the world’s most vulnerable to sex trafficking, because of porous borders to Bangladesh and Nepal. With the Covid-19 lockdown and the impact of Cyclone Amphan in late May 2020, the already vulnerable population has been pulled further into poverty, and young girls are at even greater risk of being trafficked. The trauma of trafficking does not end when – if – a survivor is rescued. At home, survivors are blamed for what happened to them. They face physical violence, isolation, stigma, shame and guilt, often perpetrated by their own family and neighbours. This animated short film advocates globally to restore dignity and rights to survivors of sex trafficking. It will also be screened locally, to champion positive role models who support girls during their reintegration.
"But when I came home, some kids started calling me names. They called me ‘kharap mey’, a bad girl. The neighbours said I would never be married now. My brother was angry at me. He would hit me and say I had shamed the family."
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has its foundation in the simple idea that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. Globally, survivors of trafficking find their trauma compounded by stigma, shame and isolation, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Evidence shows that by championing positive gender and social norms in a community, survivors are increasingly accepted and can reclaim their lives as equal citizens and community members. In the long term, this project aims to:
· reduce rates of trafficking,
· create positive social and gender norms both within India and globally,
· and relieve girls of shame.
"When I am overwhelmed by the bullying and the names people call me, I stand strong and remember all the people who believe in me. I think of Amma naming me after a tigress, and I know I am Namrah, the brave."
Donate now to speak out for trafficking survivors >> https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/still-i-rise/
#bethechange #filmforacause #donate #stillirise