India, April 3 -- Imagine being a young girl in a remote village in Rajasthan. One day, your own father signs a piece of stamped paper, shakes hands with a stranger in front of the entire village, and hands you over for money. No wedding rituals, no legal papers that actually protect you, just a so-called 'Nata' (relationship) that treats you as property. This is 'Nata Pratha', a centuries-old custom still alive in pockets of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, especially among certain tribal communities like the Bhils.

A custom rooted in poverty, patriarchy, and silence, Nata Pratha is often defended as tradition or local custom. In reality, it reduces girls and women to commodities. Families in extreme poverty see dau...