Survivors of Sex Trafficking in Andhra Pradesh

In the literature on trafficking in India there is a crucial dearth of primary data and micro studies that could be used for vulnerability mapping of the source areas and for addressing the risk factors identified. The article is a small attempt to contribute to plugging the gap in the context of Andhra Pradesh, identified as a ‘hot spot’ in the literature. It is based on case studies of 78 women who had been trafficked from their places of origin in Anantapur district to metropolitan cities across India and who have since returned to their homes. The article attempts to identify the individual and family circumstances that contribute to trafficking, to highlight in particular the gendered vulnerabilities that set these women up for trafficking, and to capture the process of the trafficking experience. The case studies reported here point to the compelling urgency of interventions that will go beyond the forced/voluntary divide in trafficking and sex work.