Women’s Day Special: Braveheart Manju rescuing girls from trafficking

MANJU SINGH still remembers the first time she saw hell on earth. She walked into a brothel and found an eight-year-old girl who had been abused by ten men that day alone. The child was burned with cigarette butts and given electric shocks for entertainment. Manju wanted to look away, but she could not. That was decades ago, and Manju has not stopped since.

Manju is the co-founder of Guria Sansthan, an NGO based in Varanasi. For over thirty years, Manju has fought sex trafficking and child prostitution with unwavering determination. Manju has rescued more than five thousand women and girls from forced prostitution through sheer courage. Manju has helped shut down over two hundred illegal brothels across multiple states. Manju has put hundreds of traffickers behind bars through persistent legal battles.

But none of this came easy for Manju. She has faced violent backlash from traffickers and pimps who want her silenced. They have threatened Manju’s life repeatedly over the past three decades. They have attacked her organisation twenty-seven times in brutal attempts to stop her work. They have tried everything to make Manju stop, from bribes to bullets. Manju never did.

This Women’s Day, we celebrate women like Manju who refuse to back down. This Women’s Day, we honor her courage in the face of constant danger. This Women’s Day, we amplify her mission to reach more survivors.

The reality of sex trafficking in India

The numbers are staggering and deeply disturbing for anyone who cares about justice. According to Guria’s research, ninety-four per cent of trafficked children come from lower castes who lack social protection. Fifty-three per cent of victim families earn below two thousand rupees monthly, making them easy targets. These girls are not random victims but are chosen precisely because they are vulnerable.

Manju has seen children as young as two years old rescued from sexual exploitation in brothels. Manju has watched families sell their own daughters for money when hunger became unbearable. Manju has witnessed the criminal nexus that includes traffickers, brothel keepers, pimps, and even local authorities who protect them. The pandemic made everything worse as unemployment rose sharply across rural India. Poverty deepened in every corner, and desperation opened new windows for traffickers. Manju worked harder than ever during those dark days.

This Women’s Day, remember what Manju faces daily in her fight for justice. This Women’s Day, stand with her against the traffickers who prey on the poor.

How traffickers trap their victims

The methods traffickers use are brutal and calculated to break their victims completely. Traffickers kidnap girls on their way to school, snatching them from familiar paths. They lure them with false promises of jobs that sound like an escape from poverty. They sometimes involve family members who need money so desperately that they sell their own children.

Once trapped, the girls face unimaginable horror that no child should ever experience. They are tortured until they submit to their captors’ demands completely. They are sold to brothels across state lines, far from anyone who might recognise them. They are abused by multiple men daily in conditions that defy description. If they become pregnant, brothel owners kick them repeatedly until the child dies inside them.

Manju has documented all of this evidence in case after case over the years. Manju has testified in court after court against powerful criminals with resources. Manju has faced the same criminals in corridors and heard their threats whispered in her ear. Manju continues despite it all because the girls have no one else.

The holistic approach that works

Manju does not just rescue girls from brothels and then walk away. Manju ensures they get justice through a comprehensive support system. Manju’s organisation provides legal aid to every survivor who wants to fight back. Manju’s team fights cases in district court, high court, and even the Supreme Court without tiring. Manju has helped achieve one hundred forty-eight convictions so far against powerful traffickers. Manju has secured over nine hundred bail rejections to keep traffickers behind bars where they belong.

Manju offers witness protection to survivors who agree to testify against their abusers. This is critical because traffickers routinely target victims who dare to speak in court. Manju has provided protection to over one thousand girls and their families so far. Manju relocates them to safe locations where traffickers cannot find them. Manju fortifies their homes with stronger doors and windows for security. Manju ensures they can depose without fear through constant support and counselling.

Manju runs education centers in red-light areas where at-risk children can find safety. Children receive non-formal education through art therapy that heals their trauma. They learn clay work, bead-making, painting, music, and dance as forms of expression. They attend computer classes and meditation sessions to build new skills. They eat nutritious meals and play sports that build confidence and teamwork.

Manju works in source villages where girls are trafficked from in the first place. Manju and her team hold thousands of awareness meetings every year in remote areas. Manju forms women vigilance committees to watch for traffickers in their communities. Manju helps families access government entitlements and social security schemes they deserve.

This Women’s Day, recognise the scope of Manju’s work across multiple states. This Women’s Day, support her vision of a trafficking-free India.

One girl’s story among thousands

Consider the case of a thirteen-year-old from the outskirts of Varanasi city. She was abducted on her way to school by two men who grabbed her from behind. They took her fifteen hundred kilometers away to Telangana, where no one knew her. She was raped repeatedly and forced into household chores like a slave.

Her family approached Manju for help when the police refused to act. Manju’s team moved multiple applications to higher authorities demanding action. They distributed pamphlets with the girl’s details across the city. They pressured the police relentlessly until they finally moved. The girl was rescued, but the fight had just begun for her family.

The accused threatened the family constantly to make them withdraw the case. They tried to bribe them with money they desperately needed. They created pressure through villagers who feared the traffickers’ power. Manju provided counselling and emotional support throughout the long legal battle. The girl gained confidence through mock trials and preparation sessions. She deposed successfully in court without breaking down.

The accused was convicted and sentenced to twenty years rigorous imprisonment. Manju made that possible through years of relentless effort. Manju gave that girl her life back when all seemed lost.

The cost of justice

None of this work is cheap or easy for Manju and her small team. Legal battles stretch for years, sometimes lasting over a decade. Witness protection requires continuous resources for safe housing and food. Education centers need funding for meals, materials, and staff salaries every month. Awareness campaigns require travel to remote villages with poor roads.

Manju and her team often work with minimal resources donated by supporters. Manju relies on pro-bono lawyers who believe in the cause and work for free. Manju stretches every rupee as far as it can go across multiple programs. But the need keeps growing faster than the funds arrive.

The criminal justice system itself is stacked against survivors in multiple ways. The acquittal rate in trafficking cases is eighty-four per cent nationwide. The pendency rate is ninety-one per cent, meaning cases drag on for years. Traffickers hire the best criminal lawyers with money from their crimes. They exploit every loophole in the legal system to delay justice. They file fake custody petitions and cross-FIRs against victims to silence them.

Manju’s fight despite challenges

Manju fights all of this with limited resources and constant threats. Manju opposes every bail application traffickers file in court. Manju challenges every acquittal that lets criminals walk free. Manju files public interest litigations for systemic reforms in the justice system. Manju never gives up, no matter how hopeless things appear.

This Women’s Day, let us ask ourselves a difficult question. What if Manju had given up after the first death threat? What if Manju had stopped after the twenty-seven attacks on her organisation? What if Manju had chosen personal safety over justice for strangers?

Thousands of girls would still be trapped in brothels right now. Hundreds of traffickers would walk free to abuse more children. Countless families would have no hope of seeing their daughters again.

This Women’s Day, we thank Manju for not giving up when others would have. This Women’s Day, we honour her sacrifice for girls she may never meet. This Women’s Day, we recognise that her courage protects thousands.

This Women’s Day, stand with Manju

International Women’s Day celebrates women who change the world through courage. Manju is exactly that kind of woman who deserves our support. Manju has risked her life countless times over three decades of work. Manju has faced down criminals who wanted her dead for exposing them. Manju has given thousands of girls a second chance at life and dignity.

But Manju cannot do it alone, no matter how strong she is. The need for funds is urgent and constant across all her programs. Manju needs resources to rescue more girls from brothels right now. Manju needs support to fight more cases in court against traffickers. Manju needs help to run her education centers and awareness campaigns effectively.

Your donation can make a real difference in Manju’s fight for justice. It can provide sanitary pads and meals for rescued girls recovering from trauma. It can fund legal battles that put traffickers behind bars for decades. It can support witness protection for survivors who dare to testify.

This Women’s Day, give for Manju and her thirty years of sacrifice. This Women’s Day, give for the girls waiting to be rescued right now. This Women’s Day, give for justice that seems so hard to find.

Click here to support Manju and other NGOs that fight sex trafficking across India:
Help Save Girls from Trafficking

Your contribution will go directly toward rescue operations, legal aid, rehabilitation, and witness protection programs. Every rupee counts when a girl’s life and dignity hang in the balance.

The work continues

Manju is now in her fifties after spending her life in this fight. Manju has spent over three decades rescuing girls from impossible situations. Manju has seen things no human should ever have to witness. Manju has faced threats that would break most people beyond repair.

Manju keeps going anyway because the work is not finished.

Thousands of girls are trapped even now in brothels across India. There are still traffickers operating with impunity in every state. There are still families too poor to protect their children from predators.

Manju cannot rescue them all by herself, no matter how hard she tries. But with your support, Manju can rescue more girls this year. With your donation, more girls can escape hell and find safety. With your help, more traffickers can face justice for their crimes.

This Women’s Day, honour Manju for her three decades of service. This Women’s Day, honour women like her who fight alone. This Women’s Day, honour them by joining their fight for justice. This Women’s Day, honour them by giving generously to their cause. 

Because every girl deserves a childhood free from abuse. Every woman deserves dignity and safety in her life. And Manju has shown us what one determined woman can achieve against all odds.