Ruchira Gupta, Founder and President of ‘Apne Aap’

Human trafficking, which remains world’s third largest illegal activity after smuggling of drugs and weapons, is the worst example of one person’s crime against other human being.

Not many have the courage to raise voice against such a heinous crime, but Ruchira Gupta, founder and president of ‘Apne Aap’, has proved that if you have the will, God shows the way. Recently she was honoured by the United Nation Association's New York Chapter at the "Spring Luncheon" in New York City.

In a 23 years career Gupta has worked as a journalist, activist and policy-maker on issues related to violence against women and children. She has won an
Emmy for “outstanding investigative journalism” and then founded ‘Apne Aap’.

The organization of over 5,000 women and children trafficked and trapped in or at risk to prostitution in India’s red-light areas and slums and has provided policy support to the Government of India, UN agencies in Nepal, Thailand, Kosovo and New York and USAID in Washington DC, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Phillippines.

Ruchira’s efforts enabled the victims of sex trade and trafficking get legal, education and livelihood training and skills that help these women resist traffickers. So far, Apne Aap has formed 146 groups and put 814 daughters of women in prostitution in schools.

Ruchira along with effort of other volunteers has earned international recognition and is an example for many to work for eradication of evils like sex trade and trafficking not only from a nation particular, but whole world.

Ruchira shares a dream with victims and survivors of sex trafficking, that one day they too will lead a normal and happy life. She believes in a world where buying and selling another human being is unacceptable. She challenges the notion that slavery and prostitution are inevitable. She dreams of an economy that forces no one to sell oneself.