The photo used to illustrate this article is a borrowed photo and is not a photo of Rumki.
In many parts of India, young girls face severe social stigma due to societal norms and cultural prejudices linked to premarital relationships, early marriage, teenage pregnancy or accusations of misconduct. Girls are often victims of bullying, abuse, neglect, mental health problems, lack of understanding and acceptance, or a host of other risk factors in the home.
To avoid these situations and find new opportunities for a better life, teenage girls leave home and become easy targets for human traffickers. Once on the streets, the traffickers exploit them by tempting them with false promises of employment, marriage or a better life. But what’s alarming today is that the number of cases of girls disappearing from their families is on the rise. According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, the percentage of missing girls has risen from 65% in 2016 to 75% in 2022 nationwide.
Cyberbullying and running away: when technology drives girls to flee
Technological advances have multiplied social interactions, leading to negative consequences such as cyberbullying in both urban and rural areas. Studies show that teenage victims of cyberbullying are at increased risk of mental health problems, including low self-esteem, loneliness, depression and suicidal thoughts. Adolescent girls are more often victims of cyberbullying than boys, reinforcing the link with mental health problems. Fearing social dishonor, some girls may choose to run away rather than face oppressive norms, often lured by false promises of a better life and opportunities. The case of Rumki (name changed) illustrates this growing trend of girls running away to escape cyberbullying and social harassment.
After the death of her father, Rumki (20) stayed with her older brother and mother in the maternal home in the village of Borjumla in Murshidabad, West Bengal, India. Living conditions in the maternal home are difficult, characterized by financial constraints.
Rumki’s eldest brother is the sole breadwinner, with a monthly income of barely 100 Swiss francs. His mother, who works as a bidi (local cigarette) mender, earns no more than 10 Swiss francs a month. Despite financial constraints, Rumki managed to complete her schooling and then enrolled at university to obtain her degree. She has been a member of the Murshidabad Youth Group (under the aegis of the Indian Youth Council or IYC) since 2021, supported by Shripur Mahila O Khadi Unnayan Samity (SMOKUS), and has shown remarkable enthusiasm and active participation in social actions.
Love turns to nightmare, Rumki victim of violence
Rumki’s journey took a worrying turn when she became romantically involved with a young boy from a neighboring village. This relationship became a major source of concern, as her partner adopted a rigid behavior, limiting her freedom to interact with others and move around freely. The situation worsened when she was physically assaulted by her partner.
To add to Rumki’s distress, she was also the victim of cyberbullying, as the boy took photos of her without her consent and posted them on social media platforms, exposing her to harassment and social embarrassment. Rumki suffered from severe depression, and her family had to cope with taunts and insults from neighbors and the community, compounding her mental anguish.
In this situation, Rumki telephoned someone from her village who lived in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, and promised to help her secure a promising career. Convinced by this assurance and other factors, she took the radical decision to run away from home.
Rumki on the run
With a limited amount of money, Rumki left her home on December 30, 2023, intending to travel to Hyderabad. She took a train from her hometown to Sealdah, but it only went to Berhampur, a nearby station, where she spent the night alone in the station’s waiting room. On December 31, she took another train to Kolkata. Arriving in Kolkata in the early hours of January 1, 2024, she stayed at the station.
Unable to book a train ticket to Hyderabad on her own, she contacted a local young man, Sourabh Kumar Shaw, in Kolkata, by phone in the evening, asking for help.
Sourabh is a young member of TdH Switzerland’s partner organization, the Development Research Communication and Services Centre (DRCSC) in Kolkata, and an active member of the Indian Youth Council (IYC). After receiving the call, Saurabh and other young members went to the railway station to meet her.
After meeting Rumki, the IYC members understood the circumstances and her intention to leave the state by any means necessary to escape her predicament. The young members perceived the potential risk of her falling prey to a human trafficking network if she decided to settle alone in the unknown city of Hyderabad.
Support from the Youth Council
In order to give Rumki’s family time to get to Kolkata the next morning, IYC members acted while they were arranging his ticket to Hyderabad the following day and persuaded Rumki to stay at the residence of Shashi Ojha, a teacher at the Support Education Centre.
DRCSC team members organized a counseling session for Rumki, providing her with professional support to help her overcome the difficulties she was facing. During this session, she revealed that she was a victim of cyberbullying, which was causing considerable mental stress for her and her family. To protect her family from distress, she chose to leave her home and start a new life in another city.
However, the advisor stressed the potential risks of trusting strangers and the danger of being trapped in human trafficking. It was mentioned that any cases of cyberbullying should be promptly reported to the police, so that the perpetrators can be held accountable.
The importance of community support in Rumki's comeback
On January 2, 2024, Rumki’s brother, accompanied by a female member of the SMOKUS team (a Terre des Hommes Suisse partner), arrived in Kolkata. After a brief counseling session and conversation with her brother, Rumki was convinced of the risks and the wrong decision she had taken, but agreed to return home. This episode highlights the crucial role of community support, especially for children and teenagers facing difficult circumstances. IYC members played a commendable role in preventing Rumki from suffering significant harm, underlining IYC’s commitment to upholding children’s rights and providing a protective environment for its young members.
Terre des Hommes Suisse in India
The incident highlights the pressing need to address issues related to personal safety, consent and responsible media consumption. In November 2023, virtual capacity-building sessions were organized by TdH Switzerland India NC to improve the skills of selected youth and community leaders.
As part of the IYC, TdH Switzerland supports 60 youth groups with over 1,100 members in four states of India, offering them a platform to address and combat challenges while fostering an environment conducive to the empowerment of young individuals.
