Peacekeeper Truth Serum Blog

The shocking truths of the sex trafficking industry have come to light lately through films like Holly, but stories keep coming forward. Due to economic circumstances, women often turn to prostitution as a last resort to feed their families. Beenu, a woman who was married and pregnant by the age of 13, turned to prostitution to support her child after being shunned by her husband. Daughters of former prostitutes like Naina suffer the same fate; she was trafficked into prostitution much like her mother Meena at the age of 13. These women and children in the sex industry face many difficulties; working for below living-standard wages, physical and emotional abuse from their clients and brothel owners as well as the danger of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDs. Women working in the sex industry cannot protect themselves against HIV/AIDS, they cannot force customers to wear a condom nor can they turn away men who refuse to do so. Many women see suicide as the only means of escape from the horrors of prostitution. But there is hope, and you can help!

Women’s rights group Equality Now has a campaign aimed at the Indian government to stop fostering trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of women and children. Equality Now, along with Apne Aap Women Worldwide (an organization headed by prostitution survivors from Mumbai) are petitioning to gain support for the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Amendment Bill, which aims to decriminalize prostituted women as well as penalize buyers of prostituted women. Show your support by writing to Indian officials at the addresses given:

Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister’s Office
South Block, Raisina Hill
New Delhi, 110011, INDIA
Email: pmosb@pmo.nic.in
Fax: +91 (0) 1123016857

Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, President
Indian National Congress
10 Janpath/24 Akbar Road
New Delhi, 110011, INDIA
Email: soniagandhi@sansad.nic.in
Fax: +91 (0)1123017047

Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister of State for Science& Technology/Earth Sciences
19 Teen Murti Marg
New Delhi, 110011, INDIA
Email: ksibal@sansad.nic.in
Fax: +91 (0)1123018705

For more information on the campaign and more survivor’s stories, click here.

Check out the promotion for Spore, a video game that mimics the evolution process from single-celled organism to land-walking creatures. The Spore marketing team is hosting a competition where contestants and their creations fight for your vote in hopes to win the grand prize: a $15,000 donation to the charity of his or her choice! The competitors range from Elijah Wood (yes, THE Elijah Wood) to Katy Perry (the new sensation for her song “I Kissed a Girl”). Rather than voting by celebrity, I suggest you vote by what charities matter most to you. The creature “Hoops” made by fellow blogger Ze Frank has my vote. If he wins, the $15,000 will go to Sanctuary for Families which is a group that offers shelter, clinical and legal services to women and children suffering from domestic abuse.

Click here to vote!

Want more information on how you can help Sanctuary for Families? Click here for more information.

Peace and Love,

Alice