Journey from Oppression to Liberation: Power of Solidarity
Rita Dhungel, MA, BL, MSW, PhD & Maya Tamang | September 19 | 11:15 am-12:15 pm
Topic: Experience | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Maya Tamang, 44, was born into a low-income family in a rural area of Nepal and is the mother of one daughter. She was trafficked to India when she was eight years old. 500 minor Nepalese girls were rescued during the 1996 Indian government raid on all brothels in the nation. When she returned to Kathmandu, WOREC granted her two years of shelter, and then they assisted her in reintegrating with her family in her village. She was forced to move to a different place because of the stigma and discrimination against her HIV condition. Later, she married a man from a different caste. She suffered violence from her husband, and sadly, their marriage was not able to withstand it. Maya started Shakti Samuha, the first organization in the world, founded by human trafficking survivors together with fifteen other survivors. She is employed with the organization. She faces a number of intersectional challenges in her reintegration. In 2013, she was given the opportunity to take part in a participatory action research study conducted by University of Calgary PhD candidate, Rita Dhungel. The study provided her with a safe and judgment-free platform to reflect on her own intersectional oppression and raise her voice, which had been silenced, through the use of photovoice and media conferences. Maya Tamang, who is currently working as a reintegration officer with Shakti Samuha, will share her journey from oppression to liberation. She will also discuss how engaging in participatory action research gave her more self-assurance and empowered her to support campaigns that aim to prevent, protect, and prosecute human trafficking.
Presentation Objectives:
• Help participants critically understand the challenges of trafficking survivors in reintegration
• Share the power of trafficking survivors in their reintegration
• Highlight how participatory action research provided Maya with the opportunity to raise her silenced voice and become involved in advocacy practice