CNN has been honored with the Gold World Medal award in the Cultural Issues category at the recent New York Festival’s International TV and Film Awards 2012 for its CNN Freedom Project documentary Trapped by Tradition.

In Trapped by Tradition, Anil Kapoor visited the Bharatpur district of North India to highlight how young girls and women are sold into the sex trade, often by members of their own family. It followed Kapoor as he spent time with young girls and women who had been forced into joining the sex trade, and focused on the on-ground changes that are emerging via better education and through efforts of organizations such as Plan India, which helps young girls and women learn about lifestyle choices outside Bharatpur.

Tony Maddox, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of CNN International, commented: “The award reflects the CNN Freedom Project’s continued commitment to help bring an end to modern day slavery and is testament to the uncompromising dedication of our newsgathering teams as they seek to shine a light on this horrific practice and provide a voice for victims who cannot speak for themselves.”

Kapoor, who was a special contributor to the CNN Freedom Project for Trapped by Tradition, added: “Human slavery is unacceptable and we must all work towards ending it. The awareness generated through documentaries like Trapped by Tradition is very important for combating this serious global issue.”