To make a breakthrough in combatting human trafficking, child marriage, and gender-based violence.
The Challenge
Child marriage, gender-based violence, and human trafficking pose profound global challenges, disproportionately affecting girls and women due to entrenched gender inequality, poverty, cultural norms, and crises like conflict or displacement. Child marriage — impacting around 650 million people — traps children, especially girls under 18, in unions that lead to domestic abuse, early pregnancies, stunted education, and heightened vulnerability to traffickers. Gender-based violence manifests as physical, sexual, or psychological harm, with one in three women experiencing it in their lifetime. Human trafficking thrives amid these vulnerabilities, coercing victims into forced marriages, labour, or sex work.
The Bridge Institute’s Role
Since 2017, the Bridge Institute has partnered with the Government of India and a number of State Governments to make a breakthrough in combatting human trafficking, child marriage, and gender-based violence.
The programme, called the Kalinga Fellowship, started in 2017 in the State of Odisha, India. It brings together progressive leaders from business, government, civil society, police, survivors, education, NGOs and media. The Fellowship has focused on South Asia — starting in Odisha (2017 and 2022–2023), Telangana (2018), Delhi (2019) and all-India (2020–2022).
Our Approach
The Kalinga Fellowship takes a holistic, collaborative approach to preventing violence against women and girls — bringing together diverse leaders, prioritising evidence-based practices, empowering local voices, aligning with global goals, and advocating for policy reform. It is structured around seven points of leverage:
- Zero Tolerance to Child Marriage — engaging young people in creating a zero-tolerance culture.
- Next Generation Policing — implementing global best practices across police forces.
- Technology and Data — using data for enhanced multi-sector information sharing.
- Purpose-Led Corporates — involving businesses in combatting trafficking and violence.
- First Responder — educating families and communities on trafficking.
- Transforming Education — promoting gender equality through education.
- Reintegrating Survivors — supporting survivors’ reintegration into society.
Impact So Far
Kerala
A partnership of the Government of Kerala, the Police and the Student Police ran a 2021–22 programme reaching 500,000 people in areas with high rates of child marriage, resulting in 500,000 adults and children committing to stop child marriage in their communities.
Across India
The First Responder stream enrols people across India to stop trafficking at source, training them online to identify and prevent human trafficking.
Telangana
280,000 projects were initiated by Kalinga Fellow Dr Praveen Kumar: 140,000 students were each given a project to inspire a village toward zero tolerance of child marriage, gender-based violence and trafficking — run twice, enabling 280,000 projects statewide.
Odisha
A programme to promote gender equality in the school curriculum, removing gender stereotypes and patriarchy from educational materials.
“The problem-solving skills I gained at the Kalinga Fellowship became invaluable… when female students on campus were facing harassment, a group of us started conversations, gathered voices, and escalated the issue. The administration responded by introducing a bus pickup and drop-off service that ensured safety for students. Looking back, the Fellowship shaped the way I see education, gender justice, and my role in both.” — Mani Chandana, Kalinga Fellow 2019
“I was almost a victim of human trafficking at 14, but I was rescued in time. Through ILFAT and the Kalinga Fellowship, I found the courage and reassurance that I could fight against human trafficking at an organised level and prevent this from happening to others.” — Piu, Survivor Leader, 2020–21 Fellowship
“We had victims, survivor leaders, and other Fellows. What is admirable is that the Fellowship creates an environment where everyone is accorded a huge amount of mutual respect.” — Anusha Bharadwaj, Executive Director, VOICE 4 Girls, 2020–21 Fellowship
“Kalinga’s true impact for my team was the coming together of people from different backgrounds for bigger impact — sharing experiences, expertise and information from non-profits, leaders, survivors and officials without any bias.” — Neha Mishra, Associate Professor, OP Jindal Global University, 2020–21 Fellowship
What’s Next
The Bridge Institute is aiming to expand the Kalinga Fellowship both inside and outside of India, and is exploring partnerships in service of this.
Mission Partners
Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences · FXB India Suraksha · Bridge Partnership · UN Women India · IBM · Mekong Club (Hong Kong) · Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS) · Integrated Leaders Forum Against Trafficking (ILFAT) · International Justice Mission · SEWA International · Stop The Traffik · SEWA Women
