Nepal NGOs to the Forefront

Against Trafficking of Nepali Women and Girls to India

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One of the sessions during the International Conference on Urban Childhood, Tromdheim, Norway (June 1997) focused specifically on trafficking and selling of Nepali girls for forced prostitution in India. The resource persons - Mr. Gauri Pradhan from Nepal and Dr. I.S. Gillada from India - strongly urged the Governments of Nepal and India for bilateral initiatives to prevent and control the on-going inhuman trafficking of girls for prostitution. The resource persons expressed the opinion that both the governments of India and Nepal are not seriously committed to end such crime against women and children.

Following pressure and appeals from the public, HMG/Nepal formed a national task force against trafficking and selling in girls. The task force consists of HMG/officials and NGO representatives. In a report to the Minister of Women and Social Welfare, the task force recommends that the HMG/Nepal initiate a bilateral dialogue with India, in order to start a process to strengthen prevention and control of cross-border trafficking of children for flesh trade.

In collaboration with Village Development Committees (VDCs), CWIN organised two different workshop consultation programmes on the "Role of VDCs in the prevention and control of trafficking in girls" in Sindhupalchok District. In this programme, representatives from more than 50 VDCs participated. Sindhupalchok District is one of the districts in Nepal facing the brunt of trafficking of women and girls.

Formation of AATWIN (Alliance Against Women Trafficking in Nepal)

Alliance Against Women Trafficking in Nepal (AATWIN) was formally established in Nepal on 6 June 1997. The commitment of the Alliance is to focus on bringing the trafficking problem from local level to planning level and finally to the international level when necessary. The membership is open for organisations who are already registered and have been active in the issue of trafficking in women and children for the last two years. INGOs and foreign nationals cannot become members, but can join the alliance as observer.

"I tried to run away more than three times from the brothel, but I failed, I even tried to kill myself to be free of such slavery, but I was strictly watched by brothel security guards who put an end to my attempts..... I was very happy when we were rescued from the brothels by the Indian police. I thought prisons might be better than the brothels. The brothel keeper would tell us to hide ourselves in cardboard boxes when the police came to raid, some of our friends did that. I wish those girls could also come back home as we did. Poor friends!"

"We were very happy when we were rescued, but our time in the observation home in Bombay was very depressing. We spent nearly five months in the observation home in the home of returning home. We felt very sad and even got angry when the Indian Police told us that our government refused to receive us in our country.

I questioned myself many times,"Why do they not want to take us back? Why can't we go back to our own country? Maybe they hate us because we are prostitutes. But why do they not understand that it is not our fault? We are innocent. We were deceived by criminals.

"When I first saw you in the observation home I did not believe that you had come to take us home. You had short hair like the police....I hate police. They have cheated us many times both in India and Nepal....But after listening to you...we believed that you were a good man....That is why we approached you to help us to return home. We are very grateful that you and your friends made it possible. We will never forget you who have worked so hard to rescue us."

Harka Maya was born eighteen years ago in an "untouchable" kami (blacksmith) caste family. She is the youngest daughter in the family. She has a father, four sisters and a brother. Her mother passed away when she was very young.

Finally, we appreciate the process and wish for better understanding and cooperation to fight the heinous crime against trafficking in girls.

Signed by:

1. A.K. Rath, Commissioner, Majaffarpur, India
1. R.B. Thapa, DIGP, Mid-zone, Nepal
1. Amrik Singh Nimbrani, IPS, DIGP, Mujaffarpur, India
1. Ram Swaroop Sinha, CDO, Parsa, Nepal
1. Indra Lal Singh, Field Officer, UNICEF, Nepal
1. Gauri Pradhan, President, CWIN, Nepal
1. Kiran Tiwari, General Secretary, CWS, Nepal
1. Rewat Thapa, SP, Parsa, Nepal

UNICEF Nepal and Local Partners Against Trafficking of Children

To combat trafficking of children, UNICEF Nepal has been working with local NGOs, the Alliance Against Trafficking in Women and Children in Nepal, college students, Nepal Police, children, lawyers, community people and private organizations.

In Partnership with Children's Network Group - Bal Chetana Samuha

Bal Chetana Samuha, a children's national networking group for the rights of the child, has been conducting training and various awareness raising activities on children's rights by emphasizing the issues of gender discrimination, girl trafficking and protection rights. This child-to-child programme has been found to be very effective in communicating the issue of girl trafficking to the local children.

With UNICEF's support, Institute for Legal Research and Resources (ILRR) is drafting a new bill to control trafficking. Ministries, legal experts and interest groups are consulted for their inputs in the new bill. UNICEF and ILRR are working together with the lawyers and law students to conduct grass-roots para-legal training for the village women in Sindhupalchok, Nuwakot and Makwanpur districts - the districts considered to be the most affected by trafficking of children. Many women, who have gone through a series of training, are now providing para-legal training and consultation services to other women in their villages.

With UNICEF's support, Nepal Police, NGOs (Maiti Nepal and Helpline) and university students have conducted prevention campaigns in 10 districts of Nepal which are most affected by trafficking.

UNICEF is collaborating with Nepal Police in order to strengthen the law enforcement mechanism. A detailed plan of action for five years is being developed, which will include training/orientation for police in border area, districts, villages/towns. Through regular awareness campaigns, anti-trafficking messages will be disseminated in all affected districts.

Awareness and sensitization activities including orientation of policy/law makers, law enforcers, media, community leaders, lawyers, teachers, students, NGOs and private organizations are creating a public ethos that is intolerant of trafficking of children to support effective preventive interventions.

Ganesh Giri, 12, the eldest son of a landless tenant farmer in Rautahat District near the Nepal-India border, was tired of working in the fields and tending to cattle everyday. To top it all, his father tortured and beat him. He had heard wonderful stories about chances for a better job and earning opportunities in India. So one day he ran away from home with a young relative who knew the way to India. They reached Raxaul - a border town and from there hitch hiked their way to Mumbai.

 When Ganesh reached the Mumbai station, the immense size, endless mass of humanity and the strangeness of the place made him too nervous to venture out of the station. At the station he saw many children like himself working as coolies (carrying loads for passengers). Ganesh was 'discovered' by an Indian man who organised boys to work under him. Ganesh worked for his new "boss" as a coolie for five months. He had to turn in all his earnings to the boss who would then give him some money. All in all, Ganesh had Rs. 500 after 6 months. During a day-off, when Ganesh was wandering around the city, he was caught by a police patrol and taken under custody. Later he was referred to a state government run observation home - Children's Aid Society in Umerkhedi. He alleges that the police robbed him off his Rs. 500.

The Court of the Juvenile Welfare Board, Mumbai, ordered that Ganesh be sent back home. The Bombay Police brought Ganesh, along with seven other boys to CWIN on 25 November 1997. At present, Ganesh is staying at the CWIN Transit Home. The CWIN social workers are working on his case and looking at possibilities for his family reunion and long-term rehabilitation.

 The CWIN Transit Home, is a centre for migrant child workers and children at risk. The Transit Home organises activities designed to assist these children in their reintegration process into mainstream society and family reunion. Many of the children who were received at the center have already been re-united with their families.

 In 1977, CWIN received a total of 11 children from India. They had worked in India from 5 months to 7 years. Most of them finally ended up in Mumbai via other cities (Patna and Delhi) where they had worked for sometime. All the 11 children were from outside Kathmandu. Six of the children had worked in Kathmandu before leaving for India. Five of the children had migrated directly. Six of the children had run away to India on their own or with their friends. Five had been taken either by relatives or recruiting agents.

 CWIN's studies have revealed that Nepali children are involved in different labour sectors in India. Most prominent is the carpet industry. CWIN estimates that there are 5000-7000 children working in Bhadoi and Mirjapur in Benaras District bordering Nepal. It is also renowned as the 'carpet belt' of India.

 Nepali migrant children work as servants in Delhi and other cities of India. The children are also employed in wood-cutting and construction work, specially in cold places such as Shimla and Kashmir.

 The catering industry is another sector which absorbs a large number of Nepali migrant child labourers. Children also are engaged in shoe shining, factory work, portering or working as coolies in the railway stations. Some children are also employed to work in circuses and magic shows.

 Children employed in carpet factories in India are believed to be working under slave like conditions. Nepali children who have experience in weaving Nepali carpets are in demand in India, as Nepali carpets are more popular abroad.

Most of the children who migrate to India come from the Tarai and hilly areas near Indo-Nepal border. Children coming from Sindhupalchok, Nuwakot and Kavre districts are also the areas from which most of the children have experience in carpet weaving in Nepal. Some of these children belong to families who temporarily migrate to India for seasonal labour. The trend of child labour migration to India is also linked with the phenomenon of 'missing' children in Nepal. The popular belief is that the children abducted from Nepal are used for the purpose of organ transplantation, organ mutilation and forced begging for criminal gangs.

 As in the case of trafficking in women, syndicates are also involved in trafficking of child labour. The syndicates work in an organised manner to supply cheap and hassle free child workers across the border.

 Reports by repatriated children on post rescue facilities at the Umerkhedi Home (Children's Aid Society) are not positive. They complain of inadequate clothing and food. They are also put together with other criminals.

The cross-border child labour migration can be viewed parallel to the general trend of urban migration. Besides poverty ,peer pressure, hard life in the village and curiosity contribute to the migration of children. The trend is nurtured and expanded by the involvement of syndicates who thrive on the big demand for cheap labour and total lack of implementation of law for the prevention and control of this problem in both the countries.

Source: Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN)