Untold stories from a red light district
"Every day I am repeatedly raped, not only by the customers, but also by the brothel owners. I don’t earn any money for myself or my family. I have not seen anyone I know since I left my village. No woman chooses to be in this profession, like me they are forced into it by their circumstances or by people around them," Pooja Kumari, a 22-year-old sex worker from Forbesganj, wrote in the 2011 August issue of the newsletter that was launched in 2006.
Years ago, Khatoon was married off to a much older man. She was born in the nomadic Ghumanto tribe of Nepal, and her father arranged for her to be married at nine.
"I have never asked my parents why they did it," she said. "Perhaps one day I will."
At 10 years old she came to live with her husband in Forbesganj's red light area. She was too young to understand why the ground floor had these captive women who woke up early in the morning, and decorated themselves and stood at the door. They would be beaten up, and it had seemed to her they were very unhappy. She lived on the first floor.
I can never forget how brutally I was beaten up
Fatima Khatoon
She was forbidden to enter their quarters, or even speak with them.
But one night when her husband and her mother-in-law, both pimps, were away, she went down, and spoke with the five girls. They told her their stories. She told them to go away.
What pained her then was how they had accepted their plight, and didn't even consider their lives as their own. Finally, over the next few months, she managed to make two of them flee.
"I can never forget how brutally I was beaten up," Khatoon said.
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Yes Brit ,Sadly our government is filled with a multitude corrupt jackasses who try to suppress anything good that comes up.
The majority of the people have a heart but most are scared to do anything about it fearing for their lives and family.
And the poor women, they are forced to accept it as their fate.This is India and we'r trying our best to mend it.
Amazing .. This woman has endured so much suffering and she is only 27.
Hats off to the lady who runs the publication and highlights the plight of these unfortunate women.
The sad thing is that not much is being done to help these women from the government side. NGOs can only do so much..
I bet he will wear his new award with pride
QL 2013 Outstanding Achievment Award in the Field of Human Compassion - Outstanding , your my new role model.
Oh, how I wish I wasn't so popular....poor me!
I vote for .sun also...
Is there any cash prize?.........Grin.......If not, parcel that 'human compassion' in a dustbin to the other end of the Universe......double grin........
I do not understand why women choose to suffer. Instead of those women if they had kept some young men as captives ,what would have happened? One of those young men would have murdered both the pimps and would have happily gone to the prison. And the rest would have been free. Why can't women kill or conspire to harm their enemies? God helps those who help themselves.
;)
sun that is the most heart warming, englightened piece of writing I have read in some time.
I nominate you for the QL 2013 Outstanding Achievment Award in the Field of Human Compassion.
Problems will always be there.. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/us/restricted-group-speaks-up-saying-sex-crime-measures-go-too-far.html?src=recg
However as we live in AN AGE OF INFORMATION & INTERNET, we can do better than our previous generations.
Help is available in India also.
Tcom, that, sadly, is true. But in those countries these women CAN get help.
Trafficking for flesh trade is common in all parts of the world. Even in developed countries.
A terrible story and not uncommon in Nepal and India. When will these women have their lives improved and given a chance in such socities.
This is sad... child marriages still exist??