National 7 (Spotlight Weekly)

Unresolved Crisis

The IIDS and UNIFEM tracks the situation of women and child trafficking in Nepalese context

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

Women in a rally : Fighting for their rights

According to the 2001 census data, altogether 82,712 women – 10.6 percent of the total male and female absentees – are absent from their households and out of them 33,620 or 40.6 percent are absent without any known reasons.

“This phenomenon of female absentees with unknown reasons indicates the possibility of their being trafficked. Nevertheless, it demands further research for reaching to a definite conclusion,” states the “Status and Dimensions of Trafficking Within Nepalese Context” – a recently launched comprehensive study document prepared by Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS) in cooperation with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

A recent study by International Labor Organization (ILO) showed that around 12000 Nepalese women and children are trafficked every year. They are mostly trafficked across the border to India for the purpose of prostitution.

Although Nepal has been suffering from this problem for long, there are still no comprehensive data regarding the actual situation of trafficking.

“An analysis of information from print media, case studies and surveys on trafficked survivors shows the age groups, 11-18 years for girls and 6-12 years for boys to be more vulnerable to trafficking. The percentage of trafficking is the highest among hill ethnic groups, followed by Brahmin, Chhetri and occupational castes. There is a great variation in data relating to the educational level of trafficked persons. Nevertheless various reports show that illiterate persons are more vulnerable than literate persons are,” states the book.

The study shows that out of total trafficked persons, 23.8 percent belong to Brahmin/Chhetri; 43.1 percent belong to hill ethnic groups; 22.4 percent belong to occupational castes; 3.3 percent belong to Tharu and Chaudhary; and 7.2 percent belong to Terai and others.

Records show that trafficking is taking place from 39 districts across all the five development regions. Jhapa district is at the top, followed by Makwanpur, Nuwakot, Sindhupalchowk, Kathmandu, Morang and Sunsari districts.

“Trafficking has a number of destinations, both within and outside the country. Factories, sex industry, domestic work, circus and entertainment industries, massage parlors and agricultural laborer sectors in various cities of India, other Asian countries and even within Nepal have been identified as destinations of trafficking,” the book states.

“In this study we have tried to get the clearer picture about the situation of women and children trafficking in the country,” said Bindu Gautam, principal investigator of the book.

“It is a matter of shame that half a century after the declaration of Universal Human Rights by the United Nations, human trafficking continues to thrive,” said Chandani Joshi, Regional Program Director, UNIFEM South Asia Regional Office. “This problems needs to be looked at from the human rights perspectives.”

Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Renu Kumari Yadav believes that human trafficking hits at the most basic of human values and sensitivities. “The government urges all concerned to join hands with it to overcome this problem,” she said.

South Asia is one of the major human trafficking hub in the present day world. It is both the origin as well as destination. Apart from trafficking taking place within the confines of national boundaries, the region also witnesses cross-border trafficking within the region and away from the region.

“Leaders of the region are serious about this problem as is evident by their adoption of a convention to control it. Human trafficking, indeed, is a major issue of regional concern and is assuming ominous dimension,” said Mohamad Naseer, a director at the SAARC Secretariat.

With the publication of a comprehensive study by the IIDS and UNIFEM, people expect the concerned authorities as well as NGOs to be able to better fight this inhumane menace, which is only bringing shame to the whole society.