| 1. Sunitha Krishnan is a prominent Indian social activist dedicated to combating human trafficking. |
| 2. She was born in Bangalore to a Palakkad Malayali family. |
| 3. At eight years old, she began teaching dance to mentally challenged children. |
| 4. By age 12, she established a school in a slum area for underprivileged children. |
| 5. At 15, she was tragically gang-raped by eight men during her work with the Dalits on a literacy campaign. |
| 6. Motivated by her experiences, she committed herself to fighting human trafficking and aiding rape survivors in India. |
| 7. Despite facing threats and life-threatening attacks, she continues her courageous work. |
| 8. She has contributed to creating and producing documentaries addressing social issues, with a focus on human trafficking. |
| 9. She co-founded Prajwala in 1996 with Bro Jose Vetticatil, an NGO that rescues, rehabilitates, and reintegrates sex-trafficked victims. |
| 10. Prajwala operates 17 transition centers for second-generation prevention, shelter homes for rescued victims including HIV-positive individuals, and economic rehabilitation programs training survivors in skills like carpentry, welding, printing, masonry, and housekeeping. |
| 11. She drafted Kerala's Nirbhaya policy in 2011 to fight sexual violence and trafficking, and served as its advisor; the policy coordinates multiple government departments with NGOs. |
| 12. She conducted action research in 2002 resulting in the document 'The Shattered Innocence' on inter-state trafficking from Andhra Pradesh. |
| 13. She has influenced policies including India's first anti-trafficking policy, minimum standards of care for shelters, sex offenders registry, and video conferencing for victim evidence. |
| 14. Her Public Interest Litigations have led to comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation and victim protection protocols. |
