Bhawani Nayak
Founder of Tarun Chetna Sansthan
Bhawani Prasad Nayak is associated with the Bhubaneswar-based Institute for Social Development (ISD). In this role, he addresses the gender-based violence and trafficking of women and girls in the poorest areas of Odisha.
Mr. Nayak initially worked on broader gender issues. In recent years he developed a more focused interest in the challenge of trafficking for labor and sex from Kandhamal – an impoverished, drought_prone district in southern Odisha that is a significant source of trafficking victims looking for work opportunities in other states. Drawing on the support extended by the U.S._based Global Fund for Women to the ISD, Mr. Nayak has effectively worked to change the prevailing social norms and practices and to strengthen local institutions, such as village councils, to address trafficking.
