Rani Mukerji visits anti-sex trafficking NGO, Apne Aap

Rani Mukerji visits anti-sex trafficking NGO, Apne Aap

Rani Mukerji visits anti-sex trafficking NGO, Apne Aap, chats with survivors, and supports Apne Aap campaign for protection of frontline anti-trafficking activists

Apne Aap trafficking survivor activist Fatima championed by Rani Mukerji

New Delhi, September 4, 2014: Bollywood star Rani Mukerji today visited victims, survivors and girls and women at risk to prostitution at the New Delhi office of anti trafficking NGO, Apne Aap Women Worldwide.

Responding to an invitation by Apne Aap survivor activist Fatima, Rani Mukerji changed her schedule to meet with the girls and women. The Bollywood star had met Fatima Khatoon at the KBC show where she helped her win Rs. 25 lakh.

“I have invited Rani Mukerji to help publicise my appeal to Indian government. I beg the Indian Government to protect me from the traffickers. I have received seven death threats from them after I spoke against sex-trafficking in KBC. Earlier, when I exposed a trafficking ring in Forbesganj, Bihar, a corrupt police officer picked up my 14-year-old daughter and kept her in police custody all night. They also arrested my colleague on false charges. I appeal to the government to drop the false charges against my colleague. I ask police to become honest like Rani ji in Mardaani,” said Fatima Khatoon.

 Rani Mukerji while interacting with media personnel in the press conference said, “I was always sensitive towards this issue but after doing this film, I have got more attached and emotional towards the cause of fighting against human trafficking. Today, when I interacted with the girls here, I was extremely touched when they said that they also want to do something big in life and they too want to be a ‘Mardaani’ like me. I am happy that my film has touched the right chord. And I appeal to all the journalists to take the issue forward.”

Rani Mukerji also posed for a Facebook selfie and asked others to join the Apne Aap campaign ‘Cool Men Don’t Buy Sex’.

Ruchira Gupta founder of Apne Aap thanked Rani Mukerji for her support. “Rani is the first Bollywood star who has taken the trouble to involve trafficking survivors in the spin-of-publicity from her movie, Mardaani,” said Ruchira Gupta. Mardaani is based on the issue of human trafficking and Rani Mukerji has played the role of a tough cop fighting against child trafficking.  

Fatima has been working with Apne Aap Women Worldwide as a survivor-leader since 2005 and has helped in rescuing 35 girls, who were trafficked into prostitution and getting traffickers arrested. Interacting with the media, during the press meet she said, “I wanted to talk about my past, to tell women not be ashamed. After all, the shame is not ours but of those who exploit us. I also wanted to talk about my present- how a struggle makes you strong. I formed a circle with other oppressed women under the banner of our anti-trafficking NGO, Apne Aap Women Worldwide (AAWW).”

The discussion highlighted the need for collective efforts to address this scourge that persists across the country.

Apne Aap women worldwide works with more than 20,000 victims ,survivors and their families to dismantle the prostitution system by increasing choices for girls and women and decreasing choices for pimps and customers.