* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
A number of high-profile cases in recent years, have brought to light the scale of sexual violence in India
I was just fifteen years old, a
Sexual violence is a physically traumatic experience, but the scars of abuse run much deeper than just our skin. The bodily pain young girls feel from these assaults is just the beginning of their horror, as they are left to confront the mental strain by themselves. Too often, these women are ostracised and shamed by their own families and communities, at the time of their greatest need.
Despite being victims, those that survive sexual assault in India are often persecuted by authorities and community leaders. Whilst their assaulters walk free, women are made to feel like the real criminals. Rape still carries a social stigma in my country and many others, and women like me are rejected and vilified by those they rely on for protection.
A number of high-profile cases in recent
In part, it is a cultural problem. Marital rape is not considered a criminal
Whilst societal attitudes need reform, it is also a systemic problem. Organised crime is the force behind our Red-Light Districts, where many women are enslaved and trafficked. According to the U.S. State Department, over 800,000 people are trafficked in India each year, and a third are forced into sex work. Of those trafficked, over 50
Our most pressing concern should always be to prevent these crimes in the first
I established Prajwala to rescue and rehabilitate victims of sex trafficking and sex crime. Through our advocacy work with local governments, we can ensure that these women have compensation, legal citizenship, housing and jobs as they leave the shelter and return to society with dignity. Without these resources, victims of sex crimes and sex trafficking often end up back on the streets, or worse, dead.
Today, I can only live in hope that one day our authorities will rise to the challenge and make a genuine attempt to tackle sex crimes in India. This is a distant vision, and in the here and now, our efforts can better be spent working with the victims and returning them to some form of normality.
As a society and a culture, we must learn to blame the perpetrators, not the victims. We must welcome those who are abused back into our communities, instead of pushing them away. In doing so, we can send a powerful message as to whose side we are really on.
Sunitha Krishnan is one of three humanitarians to be