Combating Human Trafficking Through Social Policing

Abstract:     
"Odanadi" meaning a friend for all seasons in Kannada, the language spoken by the people of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, is the name of an organization that has translated this verbal expression of human bonding into action. It advocates the cause of trafficked women and children for commercial sex in India. Based in Mysore, Karnataka, Odanadi Seva Samsthe's (Odanadi Welfare Organization) founding duo, K.V. Stanly and M.L. Parashuram, have launched a relentless campaign since 1992 to not only curb and expose the flesh trade, but also rescue, rehabilitate and empower the victims of sexual exploitation. They have rescued 1,230 women and rehabilitated them with alternative livelihoods, freed 650 minors, from the clutches of traffickers in various parts of Karnataka, and as many as 550 children have been reintegrated with their families. The mainstay of Odanadi's approach is its highly successful social policing program. Recognized by both the state and central governments, Odanadi is frequently consulted at the national level on its strategies and the central Human Resource Development Ministry is considering adopting the Odanadi model.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 8

Keywords: social entrepreneurship, ashoka, advocacy, human trafficking, social policing

working papers series