Southern Asia: Sara Hossain

The Southern Asia region is infamous for human trafficking particularly vulnerable to social minorities, women and children. This is due to the unequal distribution of power in those societies, driving working conditions inadequately. As well as forced labour, common examples of female human trafficking in Southern Asia also include sexual exploitation and forced marriage. Victims of sexual exploitation may suffer sexually transmitted diseases without proper caring conditions. People in countries with uneven distribution of power often suffer from poor human rights, leaving them no strength to demand human rights and speak out for the unfairness they experienced. Although the human trafficking market has settled as a big portion of the South Asian economy, governments are taking action to alleviate the situation along with Global organizations. In 2024, the Indian government implemented Anti Trafficking Cells for domestic human trafficking problems, aligning with the Ministry of Women & Child Development. The government of India also signed memorandums with Bangladesh, UAE, and Cambodia as a purpose to prevent human trafficking. In addition, global organizations like UNODC also work to solve this issue, by implementing international plans and exhorting the Southern Asian government to strengthen laws and regulations.

References

Global Organized Crime Index

UNODC Prevention of Human Trafficking

Towards Safer Migration: Countering Human Trafficking in an Integrated South Asia

Sara Hossain

Sara Hossain is a lawyer in the Bangladesh Supreme Court, who works hard to protect girls and women’s rights in Afghanistan. Emphasizing human rights as women’s rights, Hossain asserts activists of human rights must speak out for every woman regardless of their social status, gender, ethnicity, and nationality. Among the many local and international organizations she joined, Hossain is participating on the Advisory Committee of the Women’s International Coalition of Gender Justice, for example. She has also contributed professional evidence in family law for women at no cost. She has published numerous articles including Remedies for Forced Marriage in South Asia: A Handbook for Lawyers (2014) to propagate information and knowledge to human rights and justice. Not just confined to domestic affairs for women, Sara Hossain was appointed High Commissioner for Human Rights by the United Nations: specifically on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, otherwise known as North Korea.

Additionally, she was involved in the Fact Finding Mission on Iran, as part of the UN Human Rights Council. Hossain’s devotion to protecting people’s rights in various countries demonstrates her passion for approaching a better society for people who suffer in unfair working conditions. Hossain is currently serving as a professor in SOAS, the University of London, instructing gender laws.

Written by Haeum Lee