Trafficking of women and young girls is on the rise in the tiny Himalayan country of Nepal. It is of no surprise that women from the impoverished parts of the country make up the majority of the trafficked victims. Years of political uncertainty, civil war and the massive growth and influence of South Asian flesh trade mafia have contributed to the rise in trafficking. For regional governments, trafficking is a growing concern.
In Nepal, women and child trafficking is a profitable business for the traffickers. The victims are forced into the sex industry, illegal adoptions, factory labor, organ transplantations, etc. According to many unofficial estimates, around 15,000 Nepali women are trafficked each year, although some suggest that this figure has increased two-fold due to the current political and social unrest across the country.
Poverty and lack of education make the Nepali women, particularly in the rural areas, vulnerable to the problem. Due to the lucrative nature of the prostitution business in the urban areas, socially and economically deprived women find no other options but to take it as a profession.
The Maoist insurgency has played an important role in increasing the trend of trafficking. Many women were left homeless by the bloody conflict making them vulnerable to trafficking middlemen. Sexual abuses against women and girls were common during the insurgency and social restrictions in the Nepali society have made the victims easy targets for traffickers.
The porous border between Nepal and India has assisted in the alarmingly high rate of trafficking. Less than satisfying border checks, incompetence in handling trafficking suspects, and bribing have made India the hub for trafficking of Nepali girls and women. Most of the trafficked women are brought to Kolkata from where they are sold to Mumbai and Delhi.
Trafficking certainly is not helping Nepal and other South Asian states in tackling the HIV/AIDS virus. A BBC study has revealed that about 40% of the Nepali women trafficked to India have returned to their homes with HIV positive. If trafficking is not controlled, it would be very difficult for an impoverished country like Nepal to handle a HIV epidemic.
Nevertheless, the situation is not totally out of control. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has taken some useful steps in combating the evil of trafficking. Various NGOs and governmental organizations are working tirelessly to raise awareness among the rural poor. Organizations such as Maiti Nepal, ABC/Nepal, SAATHI, etc, are actively working in preventing violence and exploitation against women and children.
With some sort of political stability around the corner for Nepal, one can hope for the best but having said that, this is by no means an easy task which would require the active participation of all sections of the society.
Link: Kantipuronline
