Originally reported and written in March 2023, this story has been republished as part of our archival content. 

Kanchan (name changed) is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in law from Bhopal University. Back home, her mother is still engaged in sex work. 

“She has always been involved in the work, but she doesn’t want her daughters to face these problems. She has always encouraged me to pursue education,” she tells The Better India.

Kanchan and her mother belong to the Bedia community, which falls under India’s Nomadic and Denotified Tribes. In many households within the community in Madhya Pradesh, it is quite custom that the girl will pursue sex work when she hits puberty — the profession is both a family business as well as tradition. Meanwhile, their brothers begin to work as procurers and bring them clients.

The girls, who often become breadwinners for their families, have remained victims of institutional sex work for long. Meanwhile, the stigma that follows isolates the children from other communities, preventing them from their fundamental right of education. 

Kanchan says, “Because of the work that people from my community do, they face a lot of problems. Even after so much exploitation, girls are vulnerable to child marriages. Most of our women make several rounds of government offices, and, unaware of their rights, they are discriminated against because of their work. I want to become a lawyer so that I can help my community and bring a change,” she says.

As a student,........

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