As the country celebrates 7th National Anti-trafficking Day, trafficking survivors state the government should do a lot more than just organizing formal programs. The government has formed a steering committee under the chair of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare just to mark the day that falls on September 5 this year. Bhadra 20 of the Nepali calendar is observed as Anti-trafficking Day. 

“During the time, when we were sold in Mumbai brothels, India was a major destination for trafficked girls. But today, thousands of girls and women are heading to the Gulf countries for job opportunities, which is making them so vulnerable,” said Sunita Dunuwar, who arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday with the prestigious Magsaysay award handed over to the organization for its relentless fight against human trafficking. “Despite the efforts made by several organizations and the government, girls continue to be sold.” 

Shakti Samuha is an organization established and run by trafficking survivors. It was founded by 15 trafficking survivors in 1996.

According to Sunuwar, income generation programs at the grassroots level are even more necessary than the awareness campaigns against human trafficking in order to stop people from being lured away from their towns and villages. “When people are less or not at all educated and have no job in hand, what would they do even if they know there is a risk if they left their country? In case of many girls and women leaving for the Gulf countries, they have been doing it despite knowing that their illegal landing to the foreign country might put them in trouble.”

Agrees with Anuradha Koirala, founder president of Maiti Nepal. Many of the girls and women rescued and counseled by Maiti Nepal, including the returnees from the Gulf countries have admitted to have tried their luck overseas as they were left with no choice. “They are motivated by just one dream that they would earn at least enough to feed themselves and their families as our country cannot afford even that much for its citizens,” she noted. 

Charimaya Tamang, program coordinator at Shakti Samuha and recipient of ´Hero Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery Award 2011´ stated that the government needs to pay equal attention to internal trafficking which is rising over time. “Limiting the national anti-trafficking to one day rally and seminar is not going to bring any change. Concrete actions or initiatives should be taken to root out the problem.”

Thousands of girls, most of them below 18, are believed to be serving in massage parlors and dance bars in Kathmandu and other cities in the country. A recent study done among 90 bar girls by the Center for Awareness Promotion (CAP - Nepal) brought to light that they are not paid well, let alone the inhuman treatment they receive by their bar owners and customers. CAP-Nepal had reported that the girls were willing to quit the job if they were provided with better opportunities. 

Meanwhile, Dunuwar stressed that the government should be able to instantly rescue minor girls working in worse conditions. “If the government wills to do it, it can take immediate steps to help out these girls.” 

Over 14,000 girls are women and are believed to be trafficked outside the country annually, though data released by various organizations vary. There have been no serious studies on internal trafficking.

Published on: 5 September 2013 | Republica