Newsletter- Maiti Nepal

An ATSEC Nepal Chapter An ECPAT Affiliate Group

Registration number DAO- 413/049/050 Social Welfare Council Affiliate number 1137

Comprehensive awareness raising program organized at Eastern part of Nepal Maiti Nepal organized a comprehensive awareness raising program against human trafficking and gender - vio lence at Eastern Part of Nepal in the three districts - Jhapa, Sunsari and Morang. The six day long program was organized with the financial support of Australian Embassy. The program was consecutively organized in Morang, Sun- sari and Jhapa districts on 4th , 5th and 6th of February . The program packages in each of the districts comprised of door to door program, rallies, street drama and speech- es. Maiti Nepal’ awareness raising team of staff, resi- dents and volunteers successfully accomplished the slat- ed tasks in those districts with broader support and wider participation of the public and concerned stakeholders. Observing the program, Australian Ambassador to Ne- pal, His Excellency Glenn white said that the awareness program as such is important not only to women but also crucial for people of all ages irrespective of gender and ethnicities. He expressed his confidence, campaigns as such initiated by Maiti Nepal can ultimately help to cre- ate a society free from trafficking of children and women. Information Desk for addressing Human Trafficking and Promoting Safe Foreign Labour Migration

Foreign labour employment is one of the major sources of income for Nepali people. On the other hand, unsafe foreign labour migration has resulted into exploitation and trafficking in persons. Elements of trafficking have been evi- dent in the different lifecycle of migration such as, pre-departure, during departure, working abroad and returning home. Labour migration also comes with significant costs. The realities of migration include human rights violations, abuses, gender-based violence, health costs and psycho-social problems such as depression, dis- crimination and abuse. It is worth noticing that the growth in trafficking is proportional to the increasing international demand for migrant workers. Foreign labour migration has gender dimension as well. Women are reported to be much vulnerable of sexual and economic exploitation in all the processes of migration i.e. from departure, transportation to the destination. To address the issue of human trafficking and promote safe foreign labour migration, Maiti Nepal has been operating “Information Desks” at various points like District Administration Of- fice of Bhairahawa, Tribhuvan International Air- port in Kathmandu, Passport Section of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu. Analyzing the flow of migration for foreign labour - employ ment, Maiti Nepal has been successful in set- ting up two more Information Desks at District Administration Office in Dhulikhel of Kavre- palanchowk district and Chandragadi of Jhapa district on 28th May 2014 and 9th June 2014. Justice prevails ultimately ! Case filed against trafficker- Girls rescued from exploitative circumstances!!! Jasmine( name changed), a resident of Sakhejung VDC of Ilam was just 13 years Six minor girls who belong to Nuwakot old when she was trafficked to Delhi, In- district, Bhalche VDC and had been res- dia by one of the person she met while cued from sexually exploitative circum- working at a stone quarry. As a child, stances ultimately filed a case against her rights were violated when she had to the trafficker, Sarita Tamang under Hu- work at an early age and was not given man Trafficking and Transportation - Con proper care after the death of her mother. trol Act, 2007 in Kathmandu District Court. She was trafficked to Delhi with a The harrowing tale behind the plight of promise of giving her a blissful life in these six innocent girls follows as such- a city. She was locked up in a room, Priya ( name changed) along with five of her raped brutally for months and not even friends lived in Bhalche VDC of Nuwakot paid for working as a house-maid. district. Sarita Tamang had enrolled Priya After some months, she could fi- for a job at a hotel in Pokhara. But as she nally escape from there and resort- was exploited sexually, Priya quitted the job. ed for help to one of the Indian lady But Sarita kept on following her by cell who helped her return back to Nepal. and she started persuading Sarita and her Back in her village, she caught hold of her friends that she would find better jobs for traffickers with the help of the local people them at Kathamadu. Poor girls had no and police. Her life was at danger as the any options as they were staying idle at relatives of the traffickers’ threatened to kill home and increasing the family burden. her. At this moment, Maiti Nepal transpired Priya came to Kathamandu and as per Sari- to be a safe shelter home for Jasmine where ta’s instruction, she followed a man while she got the opportunity to not only be safe rest of her friends went to her relatives’s from the traffickers’ relatives but as well her home. The man , who turned out to be a bus dream of continuing her studies come true. driver,brutally raped her against her will and While Maiti Nepal rigorously contin- she was still a minor.. The man handed her ued lobbying for the case, Jasmine con- over to a next man another day, who too raped tinued her schooling in Kathmandu. her. The following day, all of her friends were Finally on 7th May 2014, her traffickers called to a guest house at Gongabu. As Sar- Chattre B.K. of Barbote, Ilam and Manma- ita and her accomplice were conspiring to ya B.K. of Sakhejung, Ilam were convicted send these girls to Pokhara for prostitution, of their crime whereby they were sentenced police raided the guest house and rescued for 20 years imprisonment and a compen- all of them, who were below the age of 16. sation of 2 hundred thousand rupees each. Police handed these girls over to Maiti Ne- pal for rehabilitative and reintegration ser- vices. Priya and company later filed a human trafficking case against Sarita Tamang. Maiti Nepal organized a conference on “ Changing Dimen- sions of Human Trafficking and our collaborative Commitment

Maiti Nepal organized a conference on “ Changing Dimen- sions of Human Trafficking and our collaborative Com- mitment ” on 14 May in Kathmandu with the broader participation of government, members of constituent assembly, politicians, human rights activists and government employees. Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gau- tam pledged tough action to curb human trafficking, say- ing ‘human trafficking is a crime against humanity’. Addressing the seminar organised in the capital by Maiti Nepal , Gautam said, “The government is committed to eliminating human trafficking which is a heinous crime and is taking a toll on our society. We will track the area where human trafficking is prevalent and will put in all-round efforts to fight it,” Minister Gautam said. State minister for Labour and Employment Tek Bahadur Gu- rung stressed on the need to make foreign employment more sys- tematic so that people do not fall prey to human traffickers who lure them with promises of foreign jobs. “If foreign employment is made more organised, it will be possible to end Violence Against Women and exploitation. Providing education to women will also be a big help to eradicate the problem,” he suggested. Stating that human trafficking has become a major challenge and it should be taken seriously, various political leaders, lawmakers and rights activists also made commitment to stand united against such crimes and criminals. They said that the issue was not just limited to women and children but also has become a national issue and promised to raise the issue in the Constituent Assembly as well. Anuradha Koirala, President of Maiti Nepal, said, “The main reasons of human trafficking are gender discrimi- nation and illiteracy. Therefore, education for girls must be made compulsory, free and easily accessible.” Human trafficking is increasing globally. Every year, almost 200,000 people are sold. In South Asia, 150,000 females are sold on an average for sex trade in a year. The age group of children and women trafficked is between 7 and 24. Among the trafficked, 25 to 40 per cent are found to be sexually exploited on an average. The study conducted in 2010 in Kathmandu’s dance bars, restaurants, massage parlours and other places showed that 15.4 per cent girls were below 18 years of age. Of the girls involved in sex trade in such places, 72.2 per cent said they had to leave home due to poverty, illiteracy and conflict while others cited lack of employment opportunities in their home town because of which they ‘had to come to the capital’. Earlier, while watching a play on the plight of trafficked women, DPM Gautam was so moved that he had broken into tears in the theatre.