About RACE Lab

Research, Advocacy, and Capacity Building against Exploitation – RACE Lab is India’s first anti-human trafficking lab, established with the mandate to combat human trafficking. We are the country’s leading think tank producing evidence-based research, advocating for policy and systemic changes, and building capacities of stakeholders to create an enabling ecosystem equipped to prevent and counter human trafficking effectively. Our approach towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) 8.7 of ending human trafficking by 2030 is informed by addressing issues of vulnerability and facilitating the rehabilitation of victims by focusing on the goals set under SDGs 4, 5, 8, 10, and 16.

Objective

Create

To create a global hub of researchers, and provide space to experts, practitioners, and academicians to map trends, study domestic and international legislations and design survivor-informed interventions to the complex issue of human trafficking.

Produce

To Produce actionable policy documents and legislative recommendations for India and the world, including the United Nations, based on evidence-based research incorporating survivor experiences.

Build

To Build the capacities of domestic and international stakeholders - government and non-government, to create, enhance, and develop their understanding of the issue, improve access to data and expertise, and strengthen their response to human trafficking.

About RaceLab

Research, Advocacy, and Capacity Building against Exploitation – RACE Lab is India’s first anti-human trafficking lab, established with the mandate to combat human trafficking. We are the country’s leading think tank producing evidence-based research, advocating for policy and systemic changes, and building capacities of stakeholders to create an enabling ecosystem equipped to prevent and counter human trafficking effectively. Our approach towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) 8.7 of ending human trafficking by 2030 is informed by addressing issues of vulnerability and facilitating the rehabilitation of victims by focusing on the goals set under SDGs 4, 5, 8, 10, and 16.

Objective

Create

To create a global hub of researchers, and provide space to experts, practitioners, and academicians to map trends, study domestic and international legislations and design survivor-informed interventions to the complex issue of human trafficking.

Produce

To Produce actionable policy documents and legislative recommendations for India and the world, including the United Nations, based on evidence-based research incorporating survivor experiences.

Build

To Build the capacities of domestic and international stakeholders - government and non-government, to create, enhance, and develop their understanding of the issue, improve access to data and expertise, and strengthen their response to human trafficking.

Verticals

RACE Lab implements its mandate through programs designed under its three verticals

Research

The team of anti-human trafficking experts, researchers, and academicians at RACE Lab are dedicated to developing innovative approaches to combat human trafficking and related issues, pioneering a new generation of knowledge and solutions driven by evidence-based actionable research and policy advocacy to help understand human trafficking through intersectional analysis and beyond the lens of gender-based violence while locating anti-trafficking work as part of a globalized movement.

Advocacy

RACE lab plays a leading role in advocacy with the national and international stakeholders to effect changes in legislation, policies, and action in the field of human trafficking. Through advocacy, we collaborate and coordinate with institutions working on human trafficking locally and globally to share knowledge and experiences and stay updated on the progress attained. Our endeavor is to expand the global anti-human trafficking community leading to a concerted effort to end human trafficking.

Capacity Building

We work on the capacity building of stakeholders through continuous engagement to create an effective ecosystem to end human trafficking. Our endeavor is to work towards creating a violence-free world, ending contemporary forms of slavery and human trafficking, and amplifying the voices of those who have suffered and survived extreme and oppressive abuses by creating an ecosystem for the appropriate intersection between human rights and, national and international laws and policies.

Interventions

Advocacy

Samvedna collaborates closely with both government departments and non-governmental organizations to uphold the rights and dignity of the Bedia community in Madhya Pradesh.

Samvedna partnered with the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh government to conduct an impact assessment of the Jawali Scheme, specifically designed for the communities involved in intergenerational prostitution in Madhya Pradesh.

Samvedna aided the Department of Denotified Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Welfare to redesign various social security and welfare schemes by submitting memoranda and reports.

Samvedna also partnered with the state Department of Education to run “य से Eureka” in 35 schools located in DNT-populated villages, aimed at increasing retention in these schools.

Research

Samvedna, in partnership with the National Institution for Social Defence (NISD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, conducted an evidence based research study on the prevalence of substance abuse among the Bedia community in 10 districts of Madhya Pradesh to highlight the pattern of narcotic drugs, alcohol, and tobacco consumption; explore the reasons for initiation and progression of substance use among both Bedia men and women; study the factors leading to alcohol and tobacco use by the men and women of the Bedia community who are forced into intergenerational prostitution; and assess the expenditure on the consumption of alcohol and tobacco relative to their household income.

Capacity Building

Capacity building of stakeholders, both government and non-government, has been the cornerstone of RACE Lab’s efforts to strengthen the prevention and response capacities of the system against human trafficking.

Our Director, Dr. Veerendra Mishra, IPS is recognized as an international expert on human trafficking. He is continually invited to train MLAs, IPS and other police officers, government officials, civil society organizations (CSOs), academicians, media personnel, and students on human trafficking.

Dr. Mishra was invited to speak on Police Commitment in Combating Human Trafficking’ at North East Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, Meghalaya at a two-day national seminar organized by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and NEHU on 1st April 2023 where he addressed students, faculty, media personnel, and members of the Commission.

Samvedna

RACE LAB is established in Samvedna, a Bhopal-based non-profit organization, which has been working for the prevention and rehabilitation of the survivors of human trafficking and exploitation of the Bedia community in rural Madhya Pradesh for over 15 years. It is a one-of-a-kind organization in the country with the knowledge, technical know-how, and patterns of trafficking in the Bedia community. Samvedna is currently working in 60 villages in the six districts of Bhopal, Rajgarh, Guna, Raisen, Vidisha, and Sagar for the prevention of human trafficking and rehabilitation of women, adolescents and children survivors. In its prevention approach, Samvedna uses education and life skills as means of transformation while it simultaneously works with adult men and women for skill building and promotion of alternative forms of livelihood for their effective rehabilitation.

Establishment of RACE Lab

RACE Lab was officially launched on 19th October 2022 at the RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration, Bhopal in an august ceremony graced by dignitaries and distinguished personalities in the field of human rights, law, academia, and law enforcement. Ms. Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW) was the Chief Guest while Mr. Viresh Kumar Bhawra, IPS, Chairman, Punjab Police Housing Corporation delivered the key note address. Ms. Anuradha Shankar Singh, IPS, ADG Training, Madhya Pradesh Police attended the event at the Guest of Honor. Prof. (Dr.) Himanshu Pandya, Vice Chancellor, Gujarat University graced the evening as an Eminent Guest. Over 180 participants comprising NGOs, educationists, government officials, police officers, and students attended the launch event to extend their overwhelming support to the cause of anti-human trafficking.

Recent News & Updates

RACE LAB is being launched in Samvedna. Samvedna is a Bhopal-based non-profit organisation, which is steadily engaged with the issue of exploitation and Human Trafficking for the last 15 years, ReadMore…

IPS officer Veerendra Mishra has worked exclusively with the Bedia community for years to help the newer generations escape the cycle of intergenerational sex work ReadMore…

MADHYA PRADESH: The Bedia community in Madhya Pradesh has forced its daughters to engage in prostitution for decades, while its boys have served as pimps or agents for the same girls ReadMore…

Listen to Veerender Mishra, who is an IPS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre. Virender Ji is a good writer and successful administrative officer who has done very important and meaningful work during his tenure.. ReadMore…

Chairperson National Commission for Women launched Samvednas RACE Lab as signed an MoU with the NGO and Gujarat University Ahmedabad to establish a framework for collaboration and cooperation for research advocacy and capacity building on Anti Human Trafficking on 19th October 2022 ReadMore…

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