Triveni Acharya

Triveni Acharya is an Indian journalist and activist living in Mumbai, best known for her work with the anti-sex-trafficking group the Rescue Foundation.

Triveni Acharya
NationalityIndian
OrganizationRescue Foundation
AwardsAsia Democracy and Human Rights Award (2010)
Civil Courage Prize (2011)
World of Children Humanitarian Award (2013)

The group was founded by her husband, Balkrishna Acharya, but Triveni Acharya assumed its presidency following his death in a car accident in 2005.[1] The organization is devoted to the "rescue, rehabilitation and repatriation of victims for human trafficking from different parts of India, Nepal & Bangladesh and sold for forced prostitution",[2] and has been conducting "brothel raids" since 1993.[3] The organization frees roughly 300 girls a year, and also provides counseling, job training, and HIV testing.[4] Because these raids often result in serious financial loss or imprisonment for sex traffickers, Acharya has received several death threats as the result of her work.[5]

The Rescue Foundation has received several national and international awards for its work under Acharya's presidency. In 2008, the group received a Stree Shakti Award for Women Entrepreneurs.[6] Taiwanese president Ma Ying-Jeou presented the Acharya the Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, along with a cash grant of US$100,000;[4] the organization had been nominated for the award by a former trafficking victim saved by the Foundation.[7] In 2011, Acharya herself won the Civil Courage Prize of The Train Foundation, awarded annually to those "who resolutely combat evil".[8] She shared the prize with Lydia Cacho Ribeiro, a Mexican journalist also awarded for her efforts against "sex trafficking, domestic violence and child pornography".[9] In 2013, Triveni became the 2013 Humanitarian Honoree of World of Children Award in conjunction with her work with The Rescue Foundation.[10] Along with the recognition the award came with a $75,000 cash grant.[11]

References
  1. "About Us". Rescue Foundation. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  2. "Welcome to Rescue Foundation". Rescue Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  3. Mallika Kapur (2011). "Bound cruelly to their work". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  4. "Indian NGO wins accolades". Hindustan Times. 10 December 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  5. "Triveni Acharya, Civil Courage Prize Honoree 2011". Civil Courage Prize. 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  6. "A woman-friendly step, says Sonia". The Hindu. 9 March 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  7. Flora Wang (9 November 2010). "Rescue Foundation wins this year's rights award". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  8. "About the Prize". Civil Courage Prize. 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  9. "2011 Civil Courage Prize Honoree". civilcourageprize.org. October 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  10. "2013 Humanitarian Honoree World of Children Award". worldofchildren.org. September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  11. "World of Children Award Cash Grant Awards". worldofchildren.org. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
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