Freeview/Satellite TV | Bridal Slaves | Al Jazeera | Broadcasts from Monday 14 November: Monday 22.30; Tuesday 09.30; Wednesday 03.30; Thursday 16.30.

India has one of the world's fastest growing economies. But the southwest Asian country also has the largest number of slaves in the world.

In the midst of widespread poverty, fueled by economic inequality and rampant corruption, a new form of slavery - bridal slavery - has flourished. Women and young girls are sold for as little as $120 to men who often burden them with strenuous labour and abuse them.

In a country where female children are sometimes considered a financial burden, the common practice of infanticide and gender-selective abortion has led to a shortfall in the number of women available for marriage - something made all the more problematic by high dowry costs. Experts say this has encouraged bride trafficking.

Showing as part of Al Jazeera's Slavery: A 21st Century Evil season presented by Rageh Omaar.

Watch the episode in full here.

Satellite/Cable TV | Not My Life | CNN International | Freedom Project | 24-25 October

Not My Life is the first documentary film to depict the horrifying and dangerous practices of human trafficking and modern slavery on a global scale.

Filmed on five continents over a period of four years, Not My Life unflinchingly, but with enormous dignity and compassion, depicts the unspeakable practices of a multi-billion dollar global industry whose profits, as the film's narration says, "are built on the backs and in the beds of our planet's youth."

While acknowledging that trafficking and slavery are universal crimes, affecting millions of human beings all over the world, Not My Life zeroes in on the fact that the vast majority of trafficking and slavery victims are indeed children. This fundamental truth, says the film's director, Oscar® nominee Robert Bilheimer, raises profound questions about the very nature of our civilization. "What kind of society cannibalizes its own children?" Bilheimer asks. "Can we do these sorts of things on such a large scale and still call ourselves human in any meaningful sense of the term?"

Not My Life features dignified and inspiring testimony from survivors; depictions of trafficking, exploitation, and slavery in all parts of the world including forced labor in Africa; street begging, garbage picking and sex trafficking in India; sexual trafficking in the United States and Southeast Asia; and various forms of child enslavement and abuse in both North and South America.

Interview with Beeban Kidron | YouTube

The devadasi are Hindus who are married to god in childhood, and at puberty sold for sex. Acclaimed director Beeban Kidron, took us on an intimate journey into the twilight world of the devadasi to meet the girls of Karnataka, southern India who are forced to live in this ancient tradition despite it having been declared illegal for more than 60 years.

The documentary investigated the surprising history of this little-understood community, revealed their rich and privileged past as concubines to the princes and priests of India's ruling class and explored their heritage as dancers and entertainers.

This Guardian interview with Beeban, with clips from the film, gives insights beyond the documentary seen on our screens. Watch now on YouTube.

Read DFN UK's response here

Women's Hour Podcast | BBC Radio 4 | Broadcast 24 January 2011 | listen again here

Beeban Kidron has spent the last 30 years directing feature films, television dramas and documentaries. She first heard about the devadasi - Hindus who are married to god in childhood, and at puberty sold for sex - listening to a feature on Woman’s Hour. She knew instantly that it was a story she was going to tell. She travelled to India five times in one year to investigate this little understood community. Beeban joins Jane to talk about the resulting documentary, Sex Death and the Gods and why, despite her success in directing big budget movies, she is still prepared to work on a shoestring in order to telll stories about people’s lives.