Trafficked women as empowered agents? : exploring the experiences of trafficked women from Sonagacchi, Kolkata : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters of International Development at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
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Date
2018
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Massey University
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Abstract
This thesis explores the freedom experiences of trafficked women from Sonagacchi, Kolkata,
and argues that freedom for women trafficked into the sex trade is more complex than simply
equating freedom to empowerment or exit from the sex trade. The trafficking of human
beings is a major development issue, highlighted in the recently developed Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG), which sets a target within SDG five, eight and sixteen to
eradicate trafficking in all forms by 2030. To be able to reach this goal, a broad
understanding of trafficking in needed. Research in the field of human trafficking is relatively
recent with the majority of studies focusing on rescue and rehabilitation as the only means of
exit from a trafficking situation.
This thesis adds to the body of research on trafficking, by exploring the exit strategies of
women who successfully exited a trafficking experience and seeking to understand the
processes in women’s empowerment and agency. Field work took place in Sonagacchi,
Kolkata the largest red-light area in India over a six-week period. A narrative inquiry method
was used to hear the life stories of five women who have successfully exited their trafficking
situation as well as interviews with four social workers.
The findings of this study identified strategies that facilitated trafficked women’s exit from
the sex trade. In addition, the processes of empowerment and agency that women experienced
were explored, highlighting that individuals can experience empowerment processes and
some degrees of agency even in exploitative environments. The idea that exit from the sex
trade and empowerment equate to freedom is challenged within this study. It is recognised
that freedom is contextual, personal and cultural in nature, and that in the context of the West
Bengal sex trade, experiences of freedom encompassed contentment and well-being. The
main implication of the findings of this research is that trafficked women experience
empowerment and agency in the midst of their trafficking experience, but that experiences of
freedom are more complex than the literature suggests, and women require healing and
wholeness in order for freedom to be actualised.
Description
Figure 2.1 (=Cattaneo & Goodman, 2015 Fig 1) was removed for copyright reasons.
Keywords
Human trafficking victims, India, Kolkata, Abused women, Prostitutes, Power (Social sciences), Agent (Philosophy)