Many of the 10,000 sex workers who line the streets of Sonagacchi, have had a long and traumatic journey from their family home. Sonagacchi, in Calcutta, India, is one of Asia’s largest red-light districts, and it’s where CGVUK’s fair trade partner Freeset chose to put down roots more than 20 years ago. “Many [of the women] were taken from homes in villages and communities across West Bengal,” say Freeset. “Our women hoped for something better.”  

 It’s that ‘something better’ which Freeset offers. They walk alongside some of Calcutta’s most vulnerable women, and show them that, with training and opportunities, they can thrive in dignified, decent work. The women in their programmes learn sewing and other craft skills and are then employed to create Freeset’s beautiful reange of products. These include bags, tshirts and accessories, such as bangles sold at Crossroads. Like many of Freeset’s products, the bangles incorporate pieces of recycled saris, in the gorgeous textures and colours for which Indian fabrics are so renowned.  

Buying Freeset products truly is investing in something better for Indian women and for whole communities. Freeset now has operations in some of the rural areas where the women of Sonagacchi originated from, with holistic support that goes beyond jobs into education and counselling to try and prevent sex trafficking before it happens.