A Note from Nandana Sen, for World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

To me, child trafficking is by far the most heinous crime in the world, the most unforgivable violation of child rights. Did you know that every 8 minutes a child disappears in India? That more than half of all trafficked persons here are children, and over 80% of them are girls? While you and I have the freedom to talk about it, these children have no voice in captivity; they are enslaved and dehumanized every day.

Today we know that 10 million girls in India, thousands of whom have been orphaned because of COVID-19, may never return to school. This puts them at immense risk of trafficking and exploitation, which happens all around us daily, and yet we act as if it’s not our problem. As a nation, we need to go through a paradigm shift—not only in our child-protection laws and their implementation but also in our attitudes and accountability. We must see every child as our own, we must make child protection every citizen’s moral and social responsibility.

As an actor and activist, and as the Child Protection Ambassador of Bal Raksha Bharat India, I urge you all to act on behalf of our vulnerable children. Remember, to ‘act’ is, essentially, to ‘do’— and to engage or compel others to ‘act’. Won’t you #AllyUpForHer with me today, and take action at the link below? On this important day, let’s unite to ensure a safer, happier future for our girls. Let’s commit together to end the horror of human trafficking in the world.