The Place Where We Live Is Called the Red Light Area

To bring the stories of children of women in prostitution to the fore, and to understand the feelings and thoughts of these children on topics such as violence, abuse, prostitution, stigma, trafficking, and HIV/AIDS, Apne Aap Women Worldwide, an initiative to end sex-trafficking, has published a book called “The Place Where We Live Is Called the Red Light Area.” This book is the outcome of an advocacy project started by the organisation in the "red light" areas of Sonagachhi and Kalighat, India.

The book encapsulates these children’s stories and drawings through art and literature. According to Apne Aap, it is an attempt to capture the feelings of the children who have gone through many psychological and social ordeals, either because they were trafficked, or because their mothers were trafficked. "Their dreams, aspirations, and hopes, as well as the pain of their exploitation, are reflected through a rich visual and textual journey, giving the readers a peep into their world."

The book has been brought out with an aim to end the stigma and discrimination perpetrated against children from the red light areas, to stop the demand for trafficked and prostituted children by making men aware about the consequences of their demand, and to help adult policy-makers develop interventions for children affected by trafficking for prostitution.