EMPOWER PEOPLE

EMPOWER PEOPLE
works to empower trafficking Survivors

Focusing on empowerment of survivors not on the numbers or victim-hood

Empower People started as a movement in 2005 and is now taking the shape of an Organization. It works to support law enforcement agencies and families of victims, in locating missing girls and conducting rescue operations. Empower People ensures a close follow-up of every rehabilitation process and has developed a mechanism to help track their well-being with an aim to ensure that the survivor does not fall prey to a trafficking trap again. The Organization forms a diversity group for each individual case to ensure her safety from being trafficked again and to mitigate the social stigma prevailing in the area. This group consists of people with different backgrounds from the same society who act as her guardians in the local community. Similarly, for trafficked brides living with their ‘husbands’ and children in destination areas, Empower People has designed a solution which involves organizing them into village communes that are managed and led by survivors themselves. The communes run skill centers for women, where they gather to associate with each other as trafficking survivors and celebrate the individuality of their being.
EMPOWER PEOPLE also extends support to stakeholders of Anti-trafficking movement such as NGOs, Activists, Police officers and other Government officers who are involved in prevention, rescue and rehabilitation work.

Bride Trafficking SURVIVORS

Survivors have the right to speak and demand for their rights. They also have a humanistic obligation to extinguish that cycle of exploitation from society. Paro/Molki Communes work in local society to help not only other trafficked women, but also local women and children. Paro/Molki commune is a mass organization designed for survivors of Bride trafficking. The Commune work to ensure Socio-economic and development at local level.

CHILDREN OF SURVIVORS

Children of Trafficking survivors are a major concern as they actually belong nowhere. The local society discriminates against them based on prejudice towards their mothers. Despite all claims, it has been well observed that a large number of children do not attend school or even receive basic support from the society as well as government agencies. In order to address the needs of the children of trafficking survivors, we run a few community based programs.

SELF SUSTAINABILITY

Trafficking survivors and girls at risk are provided skills & business training in beekeeping, kitchen gardening, sewing, shop-keeping etc. by which Empower People is helping them support themselves and their families. SHGs of girls are selling honey produced while studying, which is enabling them to fund scholarships to assist the neediest. and also help them in shaping and sustaining their willful livelihood. The Group decide their small group enterprise according to local need.

Induction of PARO women in to media & journalism

An innovative program was initiated by the organization to empower the survivor leaders and build their confidence. In this program, survivor leaders tell different stories from the village by video recording them. The video stories are from the villages where they live and serve as community leaders. The survivors encourage other survivors to share their stories and experiences in order to save them for the future. It is also planned to extend the stories to other performances like folk songs and other talents in the people of the area. The survivor handles the camera and prepare the scripts and also motivate people to share their stories. This develops leadership skills and the survivors feel responsible and accountable.

Grinnell Prize

The Grinnell College has awarded the 2019 Grinnell College Innovator for Social Justice Prize to Shafiq R. Khan, founder and CEO of EMPOWER PEOPLE for fighting to eradicate bride trafficking in North India and to empower the independence, agency, and leadership of girls and women who have been affected by this practice. The Grinnell Prize honors individuals who have demonstrated leadership in their fields and who show creativity, commitment and extraordinary accomplishment in effecting positive social change. Learn more

Shafiq R Khan was honoured with the Jijabai Award 2020 by the Women Development Cell of Shivaji College, Delhi University at the International Conference on Women’s Leadership for Global Peace and Prosperity. He received the award from Smt. Baby Rani Maurya, Hon. Governor of Uttrakhand, who shared in his observation on the extensive scale of trafficking in the country and far expansive work required in the field of anti-trafficking efforts and commended Shafiq for his dedication to the cause.

Shafiq was felicitated with the Yugantar Award by the Institute of Leadership and Governance, M. S. University of Baroda at the National Youth Conference, a National Youth Conference for deliberation on contemporary Socio-Political challenges facing India. He received a standing ovation from the audience for his inspiring talk. The conference also marks the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of the visionary founder of the M.S.University of Baroda, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III.