Caring For CSWs

IT IS an open secret that major towns of Nepal, including Kathmandu, see a thriving commercial sex. They may not be very visible to the general population, but commercial sex workers (CSWs) are a reality that Nepalese society cannot just ignore. The issue of commercial sex has many implications: legal, moral, social and so on. Though at one time, this issue was a taboo in the public discourse, over the recent times it has been increasingly debated. One of the reasons for this is the linkage between commercial sex and the HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. There is even a section of the policy-makers and social workers who openly advocate legalisation of commercial sex, so that the rights of those engaged in this profession could be protected, their health rights honoured and susceptible girls and women prevented from falling into it. The debate on legalisation aside, it is well-recognised that most girls and women in this profession are not in it because they like what they are doing. It is much more of a compulsion than choice for these women. As a news report on Monday in this daily highlighted, factors like poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, broken and uncaring families, sexual and physical abuse and so on are the reasons that led to these girls selling their bodies. It is unimaginable that women in general, except perhaps a miniscule percentage of them, could regard commercial sex as a vocation worthy of pursuit. Invariably, behind a sex worker's engagement in this profession lies a sad tale of misery, poverty and the abdication of familial and societal responsibilities by their guardians and community people.

It is estimated by a non-governmental organisation that there may be as many as 50,000 CSWs in the Kathmandu Valley. It is rightly suspected that commercial sex flourishes in many cases behind the façade of dance and cabin restaurants and discos. Employed as dancers and waitresses in these establishments, many young girls find tempted or coerced into the profession quite quickly. The recent government's decision to provide skill-training to cabinet restaurant workers-which has however found only a few takers-is a reflection of the acknowledgement at the government level that something must be done to keep girls from the clutches of commercial sex. But obviously much more remains to be done to address the issue of protecting those who are already in it for some reasons and preventing others from entering it. The government and non-governmental organisations must mount a concerted campaign that offers the girls alternative ways of professional life and at the same time makes them aware of particularly the health dangers of plunging into this profession. The society definitely owes it to the present and potential commercial sex workers some care and attention.

Fish For Thought

AN adaptability research conducted by two researchers affiliated with NARC (Nepal Agricultural Research Centre) to breed the Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Modi River, as per a news item carried by this daily the other day, has shown that this fish species, indigenous to the North American Pacific, is capable of doing well in its new habitat. As per the same report, about five thousand Rainbow Trout fingerlings have been released in the Modi River to ascertain how this alien species would be adapting to its new habitat wherein 32 indigenous fish species also live. It may be recalled that Rainbow Trout was introduced in Nepal from Japan and the United Kingdom in the early '70s and again re-introduced in the '80s after the first lot did not survive. Since then, these species have being artificially cultured in the NARC's fishery research centres in Godavari and Trishuli. By now, Nepal, with its four major river systems containing innumerable snow or glacier-fed rivers, is well known throughout the world for its vast fish farming potentials. Especially for rearing exotic fish species like Rainbow Trout that, needless to point out, are not only in high demand at home and abroad but also command high prices. It could be for this reason that Nepal, in the early '70s, witnessed the introduction of different species of fish, beginning with the ubiquitous carp. That such attempts to introduce different species of fish over these decades have not only presented the people, the vast majority of whom are small farmers, with viable alternatives to augment their low incomes and protein intakes by taking to fish farming but, more importantly, is also helping the nation to attain self-sufficiency in fish hardly needs any elaboration here.

While it is to be hoped that the latest moves to introduce the Rainbow Trout-which, presently, is in high demand and also commands a handsome price-would prove to be equally beneficial to both the nation and the people, since there have been reports of alien fish species devouring up the indigenous fish species, the concerned authorities need to take due precautions before releasing alien fish species in Nepal's rivers. The introduction of alien variety of catfish is a case in point. Introduced in the country for its unique ability to grow fast even in harsh conditions, these alien catfishes, noted for their voracious appetite, are said to be eating up the indigenous species of fish.