#131: Photojournalist Hazel Thompson On Sex Trafficking & Child Slavery In India

Trigger Warning: this episode talks about sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and slavery. 12 million people have watched the documentary “Caged until Broken: Life for Mumbai Prostitutes” - a series where one woman goes undercover to give voices to women who have been silenced, hidden, and exploited as human commodities. Every year, NGOs estimate that between 12,000 to 50,000 children are trafficked into India alone, and that does not include domestic trafficking within the country. This is a worldwide issue that is often overlooked. I am privileged to be speaking with the creator of that documentary, Hazel Thompson. She is a photojournalist and filmmaker who has shed light on a dark and hidden sub-culture of slavery and sex trafficking for almost two decades. Her book, “Taken” has highlighted the experiences of young girls forced into prostitution. Her work on social justice and human rights is widespread and essential to awareness for these women, children, and their stories. In this episode, Hazel shares her experiences of investigating the red-light district Kamathipura, in Mumbai, India. She touches on the stories of women and young girls who have been exploited in the sex industry, and the larger global implications that go unknown to people every day.