Eradicating Human Trafficking From Nepal
Human trafficking is a problem that plagues Nepal and many other developing nations. Over the past five years, there has been a worrying 500% increase in the number of girls trafficked into India from Nepal¹. Nepalese are trafficked for bonded labor, sexual exploitation, and organ removal. After the 2015 Earthquake, citizens are more vulnerable to trafficking due to the environment being less secure, the increase in the poverty level², and children being given up by their parents due to financial distress.
As a program management officer of the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) in the HTMSS (Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section), I work in Nepal to assess the current situation regarding trafficking and monitor and develop projects to eliminate it. I believe that collaborative efforts towards the eradication of trafficking, through major policy reforms such as amending the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act (HTTCA) (as of 2017 the act criminalizes bonded labor but does not criminalize the recruitment, transportation, or harbouring of people by force or fraud for the purpose of bonded labour³), and small scale projects can bring great positive change.
As of 2017, 28. 3% of the national GDP was from remittance⁴, meaning the economy and much of the population, depend on citizens traveling abroad for work to bring capital into the country. Most of these migrant workers are victims of poverty, illiteracy, and lack of employment opportunities in Nepal. These same reasons also put these workers at risk of being trafficked. The human trafficking ‘industry’ is extremely lucrative making around $150 billion a year world wide⁵. This may mean much of the remittance that should be flowing back into the country, is going into the pockets of the traffickers instead. Thus, negatively impacting the national economy and the lives of the public. In addition, those trafficked for sexual exploitation are at elevated risk for both sexually transmitted diseases, and of spreading it among the broader society. This endangers the health of the population of the receiving countries where the victims are sold, which is why international cooperation is vital.
Israel in 2005 was listed in Tier 3 by the U. S. State Department in terms of its effort to prevent human trafficking. Commendably, in the span of five years, Israel took major successful steps towards eradicating it⁶, one of which was strengthening security at its borders. For example, at the Nepal -India border, the increase of security through means such as, requiring official travel documents from the state before leaving the country would help prevent trafficking.
Alongside urging for international cooperation, I am working with the government to increase police patrol in the areas that have been devastated by the earthquake, because of stories like Sita’s. Sita is a girl from Sindhupalchowk, that was trafficked into India by an uncle that gave her family false promises about a prosperous job opportunity. After facing heinous torture and sexual exploitation at the hands of her trafficker, she was rescued and brought back to Nepal. She was then ostracized by society and her family and sent to live in a women’s shelter. This is the reality of Nepal, and after the earthquake, these stories have gotten increasingly common especially in Sita’s village⁷ because ‘spotters’ are coming to find girls, under the disguise of providing aid. Human trafficking cannot be dealt with strictly through policy reform, because it is rooted in poverty and lack of awareness and education. It is my belief that the solution to human trafficking lies in education and confrontation of reality. Which is why I am developing a project in which though interactive workshops, citizens are informed on the tactics used by traffickers, and are taught that these girls remain the victims, in order to facilitate the reintegration of victims into society. In Nepal, putting on simple street performances, and broadcasting short films in Nepali about human trafficking has spread much-needed awareness. The next step is to implement vocational education in schools, in order to create a more skilled workforce that would be less susceptible to trafficking.
Through the improvement of domestic and international policies, implementation of vocational education in schools, and awareness campaigns to fight against human trafficking; Nepal can ultimately eliminate human trafficking and thereby improve the economy and the social and public health of the nation. To all global citizens, in the words of Nelson Mandela, “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it”⁸.
