Child Slaves
by Little girls are sold into slavery as young as eight years old to brothels and for servants. These children are beaten, abused and forced to work long back breaking hours as servants or are forced into the sex trade.
Did any of you watch Lisa Lings documentary on slave girls in India? I know this happens to young girls everywhere in the world, but I was still shocked to see these children working from before day to after midnight with no chance of an education or ever getting ahead in life. I understand India’s culture is different from ours but it’s hard to understand how parents could sell their daughters into slavery. Some of these little girls looked no more than 9 or 10 years old. They were working for families who beat them for the tiniest infraction or for no reason at all. India does not prize it’s girls and little value is placed on them.
Image via Wikipedia
Many girls in the poorer sections are sold to brothels when as young as 8 years old. These children are beaten and abused, forced to have sex with any man off the street day and night. They become conditioned and brainwashed, with no hope of getting out of the life until they are worn out, diseased, and die at a young age.
A tradition In India is giving young girls to the Goddess Yallamma. In the Hindu month of Magh A festival is held at the temple of Yallamma. People come from all over the southern and central India to give thanks. To appease Yallamma they give their young girls to the priests to become devadasi. In earlier times these girls sang and danced in the temple and were thought of as goddesses themselves.
Times changed and devadasi became concubines, then prostitutes to have sex with men of the temple. Now they are sold to pimps by priests of the temple. Pimps take most of them to the red light district of Bombay or Delhi where they work as prostitutes until they become racked with diseases and die on the street. Along the streets there are little prayer shrines devoted to Yallamma. It’s estimated at least 5,000 young girls are given to Yallamma every year. They come mostly from the poor lower castes and many parents do not understand the life of the devadasi.
Image via Wikipedia
We have our own share of young prostitutes in the U.S.You will find these girls controlled by pimps in every city and many small towns. There is little help for these girls who are virtually slaves to their pimps. Many are from abusive homes or are throw away children. The pimp is the only thing these child prostitutes have to hold onto. They are beaten and abused by the pimp, and raped and abused by the Johns. Most are fed drugs to keep them working. More children wind up on the streets every year and very little is done to protect and help these children. The old saying is, “It takes a village to raise a child,” but what happened to the village?
http://www.socyberty.comCrime/A-Future-Not-a-Past.848107
http://www.socyberty.com/Issues/Child-Prostitutes.812031
http://www.socyberty.com/Philanthropy/A-Woman-Worth-Her-Salt.631565
Liked it
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Post Commentke bultman
On July 26, 2009 at 9:49 am
Enlightening article. Drugs happen to villages. Until the introduction of illegal drugs there is very litte “hard” crime. Illegal drugs come late to small villages but they eventually come.
Lex92
On July 26, 2009 at 10:13 am
very informative and sad
Francois Hagnere
On July 26, 2009 at 10:21 am
Reality is so sad in this cruel world. May I recall, here, that LaFayette asked Washington for abolishment of slavery in the young American democracy? (I wrote on this here).
Thank you Ruby,
François
RS Wing
On July 26, 2009 at 10:32 am
India is not that far behind in the realization of how wrong this is. They are more progressive than most nations within that region. They should know better. It’s disgraceful. But if you think about the reasons why they become prostitutes is because there are a lot of really bad men who have an insatiable thirst for this kind of disgusting behavoir.If we could eliminate the thirst, we may be able to curb the atrocities committed by these bad guys. Great awareness article of a serious problem globally. Nice Job Ruby.
CHAN LEE PENG
On July 26, 2009 at 11:04 am
Child slave is a global issue, and it really needs an attention from the politicians or policy makers. Great piece, thanks and liked it.
Jamie Myles
On July 26, 2009 at 3:37 pm
The world is full of pedophiles who, in my opinion, are utterly vile and should be put to death. This sort of atrocity is prevalent throughout the world. The insatiable hunger for young children is disgusting! Thanks for bringing it to our attention lest we never forget the plight of our children.
Deep Blue
On July 26, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Life has painful truth we could hardly find reasons why.
George W Whitehead
On July 26, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Excellent article about a vile trade, Ruby.
Tanya Wallace
On July 26, 2009 at 4:16 pm
A very noteworthy article on an excellent subject Ruby!My heart is saddened at the thought of what is happening to these poor little girls and the sickos that actually think about doing something like that to an innocent child should be tortured.Excellent work as always!
sandie
On July 26, 2009 at 4:24 pm
the men prefer the babies to be born men so they can inherit their name and bear children also in their name, thats why they dont have value on girls. GOOD!Thanks for sharing.
CA Johnson
On July 26, 2009 at 4:34 pm
This is very good, Ruby. I did not see the documentary. I cannot believe what happened to these children. Thanks for letting us know what is going on.
Karen Gross
On July 26, 2009 at 4:52 pm
I saw part of the documentary and was horrified! Our villages disappeared when we chose freedom from morality and gave in to the notion that morality cannot be legislated. Not until it degrades into criminal behavior, and then it is too late.
Judy Sheldon
On July 26, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I have seen vile documentaries about this topic and it is horrifying. As some of your readers so justly pointed out, if we did not have the sick individuals who want to demoralize the children and their innocence we would not have these atrocities taking place. In much of the literature I have read on this subject it seems that the perpetrator was a victim and is now victimizing. We must find a means to stop this! I had done a thesis in college on incest against children. Most of those guilty of the crime had themselves been abused.
Jenny Heart
On July 26, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Well written and oh so sad. like it!
chitragopi
On July 26, 2009 at 8:47 pm
children need protection and governments should take immediate steps.Indianpeople are given in to superstion, so much so, they don’t realise that the future generation is victimised.
Brenda Nelson
On July 26, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Brainwashing surely happend to the parents too, so they could hand over their daughters so easy and turn a blind eye.
Poverty makes people do horrible things, in this day and age I just wish poor people would see – if they only had ONE child… maybe they could do a better job with that child.. than when they have 3 or more.. and have to give some away or sell them because they cannot afford so many kids…
I could go on and on for days, I too am sickened like you, and also sickened for the men who have sex with such young girls.. sorry guys, but men like this give the rest of you a bad name.
Mark Gordon Brown
On July 26, 2009 at 9:12 pm
caste systems mean you either rise of fall based on your birth rite. As Indian populations boom, it will happen more and more.
Ruby Hawk
On July 28, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Thanks to everyone who left such honest opinions. It is a sickening business anywhere that our little children are abused. You are right about the sicko men who buy these children for sex, If the men disapeared the trade would stop in it’s track. I understand most men are decent honorable men but these few are dispeakable.
deklin42
On July 29, 2009 at 9:15 pm
…..wow. ewww. Those men probably have wives too.
S A JOHNSON
On July 31, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I did see this and I was equally appalled at what I saw. Which is why I don’t think that minors here in the US should be sent to jail and such. I think that they should sent to “de-brainwashing” but that would take a lot of tax dollars and many would prefer that money be in their own pockets. I think it’s a sad and horrid thing for a child or teen to have to go through.
Dania
On August 10, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Excellent article!! Again!
…i will write in parallel possibly about children-soldiers, you give lot inspirations! And, …children working by obligation in mines, like for blood-diamonds.
Thanks Ruby! It\’s really interesting to read you!!
Dania amiga