Ritu Jha-
Tech firms should do their bit to prevent sex trafficking on their platforms, according to Dr. Sunitha Krishnan[Above center], founder of Prajwala, an NGO that rescues and reintegrates sex-trafficked victims back into society.
Krishnan was speaking past Month at Home of Hope, a Silicon Valley-based non-profit that has been a long-time supporter of Prajwala. Her statement came during a conversation with Shailaja Dixit, Director of Narika, about Krishnan’s autobiography titled, “I Am What I Am.” In it, she recounts her experiences as a survivor, fighter, and crusader.
Krishnan, a Padma Shri awardee based in India, has been recognized among 150 “Fearless Women in the World” by Newsweek.
When indica asked if technology could help her in her work, Krishnan said she was more concerned about it being used to fuel sex trafficking across the globe.
“The predators, offenders, and perpetrators are using technology in a dramatically new manner, especially after the pandemic,” she said. “They’re using it extensively to commit crimes while awareness about this is still quite less. Potential victims are still not aware of the dangers they face [and] the protocols needed to keep them safe are not yet popular. The predators are a hundred steps ahead of us; we are still on step number one. That difference in pace makes the problem grimmer because, by the time you realize it, the problem will have deepened.”
About actually using technology to fight the problem, Krishnan said, “If you don’t design the technology correctly it can be misused, and a boon can become a bane. If the tech firms don’t design technology to minimize opportunities for a criminal to misuse it, then they become enablers. It’s a double-edged sword, if you deny that: you become a puppet abettor in the crime.”
The solution was not to ban technology but to make it hard to subvert.
“If you are so smart to make technology, then you also have to be smart enough to understand how it can be misused,” Krishnan said. “Make it in such a way that the chances of misuse are minimized. While expanding their business base, these firms are not bothered by how many fake profiles are made. They don’t do anything to curb that. Effectively, they are allowing these perpetrators to enter the space anonymously. I understand that they have their business interests, but ethical business standards cannot be ignored.”
That is why Prajwala relies less on technology than on pushing for regulations that make technology safer.
“Technological firms have to treat all tech-related crimes as their number one priority,” Krishnan said. “A country like India gets thousands of complaints but the tech firms don’t have the wherewithal to respond to these complaints and help law enforcement agencies. When a tech firm acknowledges the problem, then they will have to change the way they function.”
Krishnan has helped the Indian government to help draw up its first-ever anti-trafficking policy, a policy for minimum standards of care, a sex offenders’ registry, and to rely on video conferencing to record evidence from trafficked victims. She has helped produce training manuals and handbooks on human trafficking for judicial officers, prosecutors, law enforcers, and others. She has been recognized by governments across the globe, including the United States, Germany, and France.
Krishnan also spearheaded the first-ever survivor-led campaign, Swaraksha Against Human Trafficking, which reached over a million people, and launched the Men Against Demand campaign, using the slogan ‘Real men don’t buy sex.’ That has reached 1.8 billion people worldwide.
Rita Sharma[Above left], president of Home of Hope told indica that hosting Krishnan and, by extension, Prajwala, was a privilege.
“We have been supporting her project and her work for many years now,” Sharma said. “Her book is being published now, and we wanted to allow her to collaborate with Art Forum SF and Home of Hope so that people can hear about her journey. Home of Hope has several projects ongoing for school students like vocational training, and professional training, depending on the academic aptitude of the child.” She spoke about how Home for Hope also conducts mental health programs.
“Just like Prajwala, here too there are people who come from horrific backgrounds,” Sharma said. “We also have projects that help blind children, autistic children, and slum children. We partner with many projects in India, along with Prajwala in Hyderabad.”
