Vimukthi: Transforming Narratives and Advocating for Change
By MV Susmitha
In the districts of Guntur, NTR, and Prakasam in Andhra Pradesh, a group of women has been quietly but determinedly challenging the status quo. These women, who earn just enough to meet their basic sustenance, are not merely survivors of human trafficking and sex workers– they are leaders in their own right. This article explores the narrative of leadership they believe and practice, as well as the vision they uphold and advocate in their leadership journey. They are part of a collective called 'Vimukthi,' which translates to 'freedom,' whose members are survivors of sex trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation of children and sex workers. Vimukthi, with the support of a mentoring NGO named HELP has been part of a leadership program since 2018 fighting for their justice, rights, freedom, respect, dignity, and equality. They are driven by the vision of preventing next generation from trafficking and involvement in sex work.
The traditional understanding of ‘leadership’ whether defined as ability/trait or as process, it revolves around the key aspects of ‘influence’, ‘power’ and ‘accomplishment’. These narratives also place an emphasis on vision setting, formal authority, collaboration and accomplishment of shared objectives.
A notable leadership scholar and author Dr. Garry Yukul defines leadership in his book ‘Leadership in Organizations’ as “the process of influencing others to understand what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives.” Leadership is explained as the ability to establish direction, align people, motivate and inspire them to move in that direction, fostering teamwork and collaboration by John P. Kotter, professor, author and a speaker known for his work in Leadership and Change Management.
The narrative of leadership that Vimukthi brings in places an emphasis on practicing empathy, solidarity and inclusivity along with problem solving and achieving goals. Fostering a free, open, equal and supportive space giving importance to everyone’s voice is the nuance of their leadership practice and definition.
For the leaders of Vimukthi, leadership means:
“The ability to talk well with everyone.” - Rajini
“To discuss and solve one common problem.” - Pushpa
“Doing Justice.” - Lakshmi Prasanna
“Practicing equal rights.” - Kumba Bhavani
“Sitting and talking together.” – Nagalakshmi
“To understand one’s problems and be with them in solidarity.” - Khajabi
This suggests that Leadership can be manifested in various forms and contexts, reflecting the needs, values, and aspirations of different communities and individuals. This calls for further exploration in understanding the diversity, nuances and multifacetedness of defining and practicing leadership among the marginalised. Their definitions and my experience of engaging with them speaks of an effective leadership with a balance of ‘being and doing’ leadership. It is a concept widely recognized in contemporary literature of leadership emphasizing the interconnectedness between the internal characteristics (values, integrity, empathy, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, authenticity, openness) establishing trust and stronger relationships for creating a positive culture of shared values and external actions (direction setting, problem solving, strategies, decision making, achieving goals, driving change, influencing others) for moving towards a shared goal.
The need for having an inclusive and accepting spaces for everyone to feel safe, belonged and respected seem to be an important factor for their survival, growth and development. The collective space of Vimukthi has been forging strong bonds of solidarity, empathy, confidence, a space for growing and exercising their leadership, and the ability to advocate for their collective concerns with a strategy of policy and media advocacy demanding accountability from the state.
Some of their key achievements in the recent years include:
• Vimukthi increased its collective’s membership from 94 to 343 in 2024 over four years.
• VIMUKTHI has been registered under Sec 3 of Andhra Pradesh Societies Registration Act, 2001 in 2022 establishing a formal collective identity.
• Introduced a crisis management system in 2022 responding to atleast 20-30 incidents of violence against rescued survivors of trafficking and sex workers on an annual basis.
• With continuous rapport building, trust and engagement with duty bearers at ward level, Vimukthi has been facilitating social entitlements (ration cards, house pattas, Aadhaar cards, bank accounts, pension) to 150+ survivors and sex workers on a yearly basis.
• State and district level policy and media advocacy initiatives resulted in:
⁃ Chief Minister Office directing the district collectors issuing a special GO on distribution of free ration to the sex workers across the state through temporary tokens in the wake of Covid-19 irrespective of possessing ration cards or any other identity proofs.
⁃ 95 members of Vimukthi formed 13 SHGs in 2023 with 10 initiating individual businesses as alternative means of livelihoods with the support of bank loans through SHGs under MEPMA (Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas)
⁃ Issuance of GO from Department of School Education to not insist father’s name in school admission process for the children of sex workers in Andhra Pradesh.
• Two of the survivor leaders of Vimukthi have been sanctioned Rs.1 lakh and Rs.4 lakh interim compensation by District Legal Services Authority in 2020. The follow up, advocacy and escalation activities on accelerating Victim compensation process has resulted in State Legal Services Authority directly responding to Vimukthi in 2022 on the status of pending 3 applications
• M. Apurva – President of VIMUKTHI has been appointed as one of the members in Internal Complaints Committee of Regional Postal Departments of Guntur Zone.
While they have been advocating for their basic entitlements, victim compensation, rehabilitation services, financial inclusion, improved livelihood and income, admission of their children into schools and hostels, justice and dignity against violence, stigma and discrimination, few systemic changes they have been advocating for is an comprehensive anti-human trafficking law with a focus on Community Based Rehabilitation and effective operationalization of Anti Human Trafficking Units. Vimukthi is also part of ILFAT, Integrated Leadership Forum Against Trafficking advancing their advocacy actions at the national level. It is surprising and interesting to understand why a collective of sex workers amongst the polarized debates of sex work and sex trafficking has been advocating for anti-human trafficking law along with trafficked survivors.
The key debates among the scholars, researchers, activists and institutions have been around: (1) Whether sex work should be legalized or criminalized? (2) Sex work is a form of empowerment vs. a form of exploitation, (3) conflating sex work with sex trafficking vs. distinguishing sex work as voluntary labour.
Vimukthi's stance challenges simplistic binaries and categorizations by providing a nuanced understanding of the complex realities faced by marginalized communities. They advocate for agency and autonomy while recognizing the intersectional nature of marginalization.
While the proponents of legalization argue for decriminalization of sex work and recognizing sex work as legitimate labor by giving legal protection, access to healthcare, safe work environment ensuring the safety, rights and well-being of sex workers (Weitzer, 2010; Mac & Smith, 2018), the opponents argue that legalization would normalize and perpetuate exploitation and commodification of individuals, as prostitution is inherently exploitative and thus criminalizing is necessary to combat the exploitation, demand for commercial sex and upholding moral and social norms. (Farley et.al, 2004; Moran, 2013; Barry, 1995)
“We urge not to rescue forcibly those who crossed 20 years age and are voluntarily continuing in this profession in lack of other livelihood options,” say most of the Vimukthi members.
Vimukthi advocates for decriminalization of sex work undertaken by choice of individuals but are vehemently against legalization. According to them, sex work has been chosen out of the dire need to survive with no other livelihood options. Hence, the option of earning a livelihood through sex work by individuals out of vulnerable circumstances need to be considered as their choice and not to be forcefully raided, and rescued against their will and treat them as criminals. However, legalization of sex work would allow the mediators, brothel owners, pimps to have a legalized opportunity to run business, make profits by leveraging the helpless situations of women which entraps them into the vicious cycle of exploitation without having any scope to come out.
“We want the brothel house owners, pimps, traffickers and mediators are penalized. We also want those private money lenders are penalized who offer loans and charge exorbitant interest rates pushing the sex workers to continue in this profession in a helpless condition,” they demand.
It is also clear that the Vimukthi leaders are not aligned to see the choice of sex work as an empowering choice rather a choice made out of force.
“Once we are into this work, money lenders and some of the family members force us to earn money through sex work. Why is this not considered as force? If the money lender is harassing me to pay the high interest rates, he pressurizes me to do sex work and repay. Since there is no other source of income, providing sex is the only way I am left with to get large sums quickly, so I am doing it. How is this not forced? We are trapped in a viscous cycle,” says Lavanya one of the members of Vimukthi.
“We wish our second generation do not get into the trap to be forced to take up sex work for their livelihood,” she adds.
While sex work involves coercion, stigma, exploitation, it has also been a source of livelihood for many. They seek empowerment in demanding the state for implementing the rehabilitation services and equip them with necessary skills, financial inclusion and capacities to lead a life by choosing a livelihood of expanded choices.
“Survivors shall be provided with freedom of choosing livelihoods and skill trainings as per their will and interest as part of state provisions to the rescued survivors of trafficking and sex workers,” says Rajini, another member of Vimukthi.
Since the vulnerability due to which individuals getting into sex work and/ or get trafficked are similar, they demand the community based rehabilitation services, financial inclusion services, skill trainings through which alternate livelihood options can be chosen to break from the exploitation and vulnerability that perpetuates the sex trade. They seek to make choices with agency and autonomy and pave the future where their children are not forced into the same predicament.
References
Mac, J., & Smith, M. (2018). Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers' Rights. Verso Books.
Weitzer, R. (2010). The Mythology of Prostitution: Advocacy Research and Public Policy. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 15-29.
Barry, K. (1995). The prostitution of sexuality: The global exploitation of women. NYU Press.
Moran, R. (2013). Paid For: My Journey Through Prostitution. Gill & Macmillan.
Farley, M., Cotton, A., Lynne, J., Zumbeck, S., Spiwak, F., Reyes, M. E., Alvarez, D., & Sezgin, U. (2003). Prostitution and trafficking in nine countries: An update on violence and posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Trauma Practice, 2(3-4), 33-74
Monthly and Annual reports of HELP and Vimukthi over the period from 2020 to 2023.
About the author:
Susmitha is a Masters holder in Public Policy and Governance having experience of research, analysis, strategic planning as well as working with survivors of human trafficking. She is currently associated with Kamonohashi Project as an MEL officer, capturing the learnings and insights of the Leadership Next Program in India.