Pari Saikia

Pari Saikia is an independent human trafficking journalist and documentarian from New Delhi, India.

She is a former fellow of Reporters Without Borders Germany and a three-time grantee of “Modern Slavery Unveiled” by Journalismfund Europe. In 2021, she was awarded with the European Commission's Lorenzo Natali Media Prize 2021 (Grand Prize) for her investigation on the bride trafficking of Rohingya women.

Pari has been reporting on human trafficking, forced migration, refugees, slavery, labour rights, and more from India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Italy, Germany and Portugal for various media platforms like BIRN, Vice World News, VICE Italia, The Guardian, The Wire, PARI Network, The OZY and Tehelka.

As a grantee of the 'YouTube Creators Program for Independent Journalists in 2021,' Pari runs a YouTube channel on human trafficking awareness.

She is one the lead campaigners of #kNOwHumanTrafficking, an awareness campaign on human trafficking in India that includes activists and lawyers. They educate people on the perils of human trafficking through silent march, and video series, and also try to provide victims with legal help, counseling, or financial aid.

Basic information

Name

Pari Saikia

Title

Human rights journalist

Expertise

Human rights, human trafficking

Country

India

City

New Delhi

Pari Saikia

Links

Supported projects

Made In India, Sold in Germany: The Veiled Reality of India's Garment Industry

Exploitation
Human Rights
Trafficking

DELHI - India’s garment industry, valued at around 100 billion USD, employs 51 million people formally and another 68 million informally. As a key producer for Western nations and the second-largest textile exporter globally, the industry relies heavily on women, who make up over 70% of the workforce. However, women in this sector face significant harassment and exploitation in the workplace.

Serbia Rule Change Leaves Stranded Indians at Mercy of Smugglers

Exploitation
Human Rights
Migration
Trafficking

PUNJABI - BELGRADE - India and Serbia have enjoyed visa-on-arrival policy between 2017 and 2023. Investigation revealed a nexus between Indian travel agents who would connect these migrants with donkers (human smugglers) in Serbia, who further helped them cross international borders via countries like Hungary, Romania, North Macedonia, Greece, Spain, and Italy.

Busting Kabootar Baazi in Punjab: A trick or trade for trafficking women

Exploitation
Migration
Trafficking

PUNJAB - For years, the focus has been on men from Punjab who get trafficked to Europe, which is also colloquially known as Kabootar Baazi. This investigation by Journalismfund's grantees reveal how Punjabi women are increasingly being trafficked by travel agents from India, but due to the social stigma, the state doesn’t have enough information about this growing menace.