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Kathmandu Monday December 31, 2001 Paush 16, 2058.
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Separate laws sought on trafficking,
prostitution
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Dec 30- Politicians, human rights activists and
women activists on Sunday urged the SAARC governments to set up two separate laws
regarding prostitution and women trafficking in the Convention they are scheduled to sign
during the forthcoming 11th Summit.
Parliamentarian and central committee member of Communist
Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) Jhala Nath Khanal said that violence against
women and girls is the most pervasive of human rights violations and exists in every
country, cutting across boundaries of culture, class, education, income, ethnicity and
age.
"However, the worst manifestations of gender-based
violence are in South Asia which is known to be the most gender incentive region in the
world."
He added that maximum numbers of women are trafficked in the
SAARC region compared to other parts of the world.
Addressing an interaction programme on human trafficking and
penalty, Dr Keshar Jung Rayamajhi, said that gender-based violence is a violation of
women’s human rights.
Gopal Krishna Sivakoti, the executive director of
International Institute for Human Rights, Environment and Development (INHURED)
International said that around 10, 000 Nepali girls are trafficked across the border to
India annually and forced into prostitution.
"It is not the case of Nepal alone. From Bangladesh
200,000 girls are trafficked every year to India. And in India itself, girls are
trafficked from Madhaya Pardesh, Utter Pradesh, Bihar, Himanchal and Gujarat to the main
cities," he added.
"In Mumbai, there are 2,700 brothels. India makes Rs 20
million Indian currency by prostitution every day," Sivakoti added.
Madhubanti Tuladhar, the gender co-ordinator of Plan
International said that trafficking is the sale and purchase of women, girls and boys for
gains, within a country and across borders, by fraud or force.
"While many girls and women are trafficked for forced
prostitution, children and young women are also trafficked for entertainment works,
domestic works, factory labour, illegal adoption, organ trading and begging,"
Tuladhar added.
Member of Human Rights Commission of Nepal Sushil Pyakurel
said that there are complex and multiple causes behind trafficking. "The root cause
of human trafficking is poverty while other causes being low social status of women,
illiteracy and lack of awareness.
"Most of the women from SAARC countries are taken to
India after trafficking. India must take some bold steps to prevent this illegal flow of
human beings," he added.
Meanwhile, documentary drama, Cheli Rudai Chhan Dalal Hasdai
Chhan, two musical albums — Dhokha and Simanapari — and two books— Gadimai
ko mela and Circus, were released in the same programme. The children of Plan
International from Bara and Rautahat districts illustrated the two books.
The organisers say Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) adopted by the United Nations 50 years ago grants all human beings freedom and
equality. Realising that a large number of women and girls suffer from fear and violence,
gender-based violence has emerged from a welfare issue to a human rights concern.
The interaction programme was jointly organised by Human
Right-INHURED and PLAN International.
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