The story of Lakshmi

In India, sex trafficking and women exploitation are devastating. Discover today the story of Lakshmi, a tragic story among many others... Lakshmi* is a ten-year-old girl who lost her mother when she gave birth to her fourth child. Her family lived in extreme poverty in a small village outside of Calcutta in East Bengal, India. There, very few economic and social opportunities were present. Lakshmi’s father was a poor farmer with a significant debt. Limited by cultural norms of patriarchy and social norms of his community, Lakshmi's father had not allowed his wife the freedom to work outside the house. When she was five years old, Lakshmi was already helping her mother in taking care of her two younger sisters. After her mother passed away, she also took the responsibility of her new-born sister. Lakshmi worked hard for her family. She tried her best to manage the household by cooking the meals by herself despite her young age. Two years ago, her father, who was heavily in ...