Human trafficking is considered a modern form of slavery, taking various forms including sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, child marriage, commercial surrogacy and forced organ removal. In India, the prevalence and consequences of human trafficking have long been recognised. However, recent reports and research indicate that the trafficking landscape is changing alongside rapid technological advancements and the social media age, aiding the proliferation of pornography, online sexual exploitation, and prostitution. This evidence suggests that increasingly, traffickers utilise digital methods to recruit and exploit victims. While India has adopted a range of laws that deal with human trafficking and establish provisions for victims to access justice and rehabilitation support, these laws are not widely enforced and trafficker conviction rates are low. This seminar will present an overview of current and emerging trends in human trafficking in India, followed by an update on the Indian legal framework concerning trafficking in persons. 

Speaker Bio

Ajailiu Niumai is Professor of Sociology and Head of the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion & Inclusive Policy, University of Hyderabad (UoH), India. She is also a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Sociology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Prof Niumai is the first and only woman among her Liangmai Naga tribe in North East India to be awarded a Ph.D degree, and she became the first tribal woman Professor in the University of Hyderabad in 2017. Her research focuses on issues of gender and human rights including trafficking of women and girls in North East India, menstrual hygiene in rural India, and economic development policy in South Asia. Her book (with Abha Chauhan) titled “Gender, Law and Social Transformation in India” has been published by Springer Nature, Germany & Singapore (2022). Her forthcoming books include “100 Years of Sociology in India” (with Abha Chauhan & Tattwamasi Paltasingh) by Springer Nature, and “Human Trafficking: Untold Stories of Trafficked Survivors from North East India” by Routledge (2023).

This event is proudly sponsored by The Gender Institute