Dr. Sunitha Krishnan: The Woman Behind Prajwala's Fight Against Human Trafficking in India

# Dr. Sunitha Krishnan: The Woman Behind Prajwala's Fight Against Human Trafficking in India **Hyderabad, India:** Dr. Sunitha Krishnan is widely recognised for her decades-long work against human trafficking and the exploitation of women and children. As the co-founder and General Secretary of Prajwala, a Hyderabad-based anti-trafficking organisation, she has helped build programmes focused on prevention, rescue, rehabilitation and the social reintegration of survivors. Founded in 1996 by Sunitha Krishnan and Bro Jose Vetticatil, Prajwala began as an initiative to support women and children affected by the displacement of families from Hyderabad's Mehboob Ki Mehendi red-light area. Over the years, the organisation expanded its work to address human trafficking and sexual exploitation across India and beyond. ## A mission built around survivor support Prajwala works through five major areas: prevention, rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration and advocacy. Its programmes include community awareness, education, vocational training, trauma-informed support and efforts to strengthen policies protecting vulnerable people. According to figures published by Prajwala on its official website, the organisation reports that it has helped remove 32,200 women and children from places of exploitation and rehabilitated 29,600 survivors. It also reports that 20,005 vulnerable children have been prevented from entering prostitution. These are figures reported by the organisation itself and should be understood as its published impact statistics. ## Recognition for decades of social work Dr. Krishnan received the Padma Shri in 2016, one of India's highest civilian honours, in recognition of her contribution to social work. She has also received several national and international recognitions, including the Tällberg Global Leadership Award and the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law. Her memoir, *I Am What I Am*, received the Best International Book award in the non-fiction category at the Sharjah International Book Fair in 2025, according to Prajwala's awards record. ## Addressing new forms of human trafficking The nature of human trafficking is changing as criminal networks increasingly use digital platforms and online recruitment methods. On August 1, 2026, Prajwala organised a state-level anti-human trafficking conference in Hyderabad in collaboration with Telangana government departments, law-enforcement agencies and other institutions. Supreme Court Justice N. Kotiswar Singh attended the event and spoke about the need for stronger coordination between institutions, careful investigations and effective survivor rehabilitation. The conference focused particularly on trafficking linked to online criminality, highlighting the need for modern responses to emerging forms of exploitation. ## Beyond rescue: rebuilding lives One of the central aspects of Prajwala's approach is that support should not end when a survivor is rescued. Rehabilitation, access to education and skills, social acceptance and opportunities for independent living are also important parts of the process. Through her work, Dr. Sunitha Krishnan has helped bring greater public attention to human trafficking and the importance of survivor-centred support. Her journey and Prajwala's work highlight a broader message: combating human trafficking requires not only law enforcement, but also prevention, public awareness, institutional cooperation and long-term support for survivors.