: : Welcome to New Light : :

The mission of New Light is to promote gender equality through education and life-skill training, thereby reduce harm caused by violence and abuse to women and young children.

About us

New Light is located at Kalighat (Ward 83) in Kolkata, a five minute walk from Nirmal Hriday, Mother Teresa's home for the dying destitute. This is one of the oldest red light areas of Kolkata housing sex workers from the city, the districts and neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bangladesh.

New Light, a secular nonprofit charitable trust, set up a creche-cum-night-shelter to protect and educate young girls, children and women at high risk. The program has been operating for the last six years and provides a safe shelter, educational opportunities, recreational facilities, health care and legal aid for the children, girls and women in their community.

New Light has evolved into a comprehensive community development project with a special thrust at HIV/ AIDS prevention,care and treatment. The demographic composition of New Light consists of women from Kolkata and its districts (70%), from Hindi-speaking areas of the country (20%) and from Nepal and Bangladesh (10%). Women from all religious communities are invited to take part in this program and the ratio is representative of the rest of India.

Advisory Board

Ms. Alison Saracena
Dr. Mariette Correa
Dr. Nasser Iqbal
Ms. Nita Sethia

Dr. Rajan Gupta
Ms. Rajni Jhunjhunwala
Ms. Sangita Todi

Trustees

Dr. Bani Siqueira
Bishnu Kant Jha
Krishna Mondal
Shibnarayan Bhattacharjee
Urmi Basu

Public Policy

New Light does not work toward influencing legislation or public policy as it does not support legalisation of prostitution. It believes in the fact that most women involved in the sex trade are victims of circumstances and would choose a different life if they have the opportunity to do so. New Light does not involve or support any political group or their representatives.