Trigger warning: Human Trafficking
“In 2017, I was trafficked to Iraq. It was the scariest moment of my life. I truly believed I might never escape.
I was 24, with a son in Bhutan. I had a job, but the salary was never enough to give him a good life. Around that time, a friend working in Turkey told me about a job opportunity. She said Turkey was safe and that people like us could earn up to 800 USD a month. She often posted photos, and everything looked convincing. I thought this was my chance.
She connected us with an agent in Bhutan. What I didn’t know was that I was being trafficked.
I, along with 3 other Bhutanese women, was taken to Istanbul and then to the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq. We were told it was Turkey. As soon as we landed, our passports, money, and phones were taken away. We were locked in a room with women from different countries.
The four of us were separated so we could not communicate. One Bhutanese woman was initially with me, but when the traffickers realised we were from the same country, they separated us. Later, she was sold to a family. I cried for days.
We slept on bunk beds and were fed like prisoners. Some women had been trapped there for weeks. Language barriers kept us silent, but fear kept us awake. Many cried and prayed all day, unsure of what awaited us.
The thought of my son kept me going. I refused to cooperate unless they allowed me to speak to him. They finally agreed and gave me three minutes. That was when I saw other rooms, all filled with women like me.
Soon after, I was sold to a family for 2,500 USD. By luck, they were kind. They gave me a phone and treated me with dignity, though the work was exhausting and I was rarely allowed outside.
Later, rescue efforts by the Bhutanese government began. I was told I could leave, but I chose to stay because I still had to support my family. Other women were facing far worse abuse. The traffickers in Bhutan were arrested and convicted by court.
I worked in the house for two years. After four years in Iraq, I could finally leave after gaining financial independence.”
In 2017, under Royal Command, 163 Bhutanese women were rescued from Iraq after being trafficked through false job offers. Human trafficking remains a serious risk for women seeking work abroad and awareness is the strongest protection.
Story by Dechen Wangdi
