15
November 2011 - India has the world's largest number of slaves, among them
an increasing number of women and girls sold into marriage.
India
has one of the world's fastest growing economies. But, the southwest Asian
country also has the largest number of slaves in the world.
"They injected me with drugs and
beat me. Then I was sold on."
Jamila, a former bride slave
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In the midst of widespread poverty, fueled by economic inequality and
rampant corruption, a new form of slavery - bridal slavery - has
flourished. Women and young girls are sold for as little as $120 to men who
often burden them with strenuous labour and abuse them.
In a country where female children are sometimes considered a financial
burden, the common practice of infanticide and gender-selective abortion
has led to a shortfall in the number of women available for marriage -
something made all the more problematic by high dowry costs. Experts say
this has encouraged bride trafficking.
Jamila, a former bride slave, says her traffickers kidnapped and drugged
her, before selling her to an abusive man. "He would hit me and beat me
day and night. I would have to work all day in the heat .... That's no life
.... Is it worth living?"
Shafiq Khan, who runs a grassroots organisation dedicated to tracking down
bride traffickers and their victims, explains: "The girls do equal
amounts of work in two jobs. They are sex slaves, not just to one man but a
group of 10 or 12 men. Apart from that there is agriculture - working
on the farms with animals from morning until night."