TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

These all studies establish the fact that female workers in the entertainment sectors are
economically subjugated, and are vulnerable of sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking. These
entertainment sectors have become destination places for the village girls as well as source areas for
the trafficking to abroad, mainly to Gulf States. Some NGOs such as Saathi, Bishwas Nepal,
WOFOWON, Chhori and Change Nepal are engaged with support from the Asia Foundation, TDH,
Geneva Global, and Danish Embassies to promote and protect the rights of female workers in the
entertainment sectors. Despite this, there is lack of consolidated data on interventions and the
number female workers engaged in the various forms of entertainment sectors.
A workshop was organized by Shakti Samuha among female workers in entertainment sectors in
November 18 and 19, 2014 in Budol, Kavre to understand the current situation of workers in
entertainment sectors. Box 2.1 summarizes the key findings emerged from the workshop.
Box 2.1 Current situation of female workers in entertainment sector
• Increase in visit by the agents to restaurants and Dohori dance bars to lure girls/women
going for abroad by giving false promises of good employment opportunity. Agents provide
a number of promises to lure the female workers like promises of building a house, buying
land, and paying to parents up to Rs. 200,000 to 300,000.
• Many female workers who went to abroad have not been paid. Many participants reported
that the promised work did not match with the offered work. For example, workers are
offered work in beauty parlors but are involved in massage parlors.
• The employers pay up to Rs. 15,000 monthly for those who have good skills in dancing and
singing. Workers are either paid only tips or salary. If they are paid tips, they are not paid
salary; if they are paid salary, they are not paid tips.
• Agents often take pictures of workers and did not return it. This may lead to misuse of
photos.
• It is estimated that 90 percent of the restaurants in Goa, India have Nepali girls working as
dance girls or singers and there are more than 150 girls/women in jail in Hong Kong and
Dubai.
• One participant reported that she was forced to go to Kuwait even by making the fake
passport but she resisted it and another reported that she was offered to marry to a Korean
man, but she declined it. Another participant reported that she is convinced to go to Korea
in marriage visa.
• The participants heard that in Samakhusi, Kathmandu, a Marriage Bureau is working to
provide services for marriage visa.
• One of the participants reported that one of participant’s relative was transported to
Singapore and she was living in miserable condition.
From the field visit of Chhori and Women’s Forum for Women in Gongabu area – the long route bus
park area of Kathmandu valley, it is found that cabin restaurants in this area are replaced in to Khaja
Ghar (literally, it is a small shed where cheap food, alcohol and meat is served). Before the
earthquake of April 25, 2015, there were 17 cabin restaurants and 18 duet song (dohori) restaurants
but now there are only 8 cabin restaurants and a few duet song (dohori) restaurants after the
earthquake.
Women and Children Office of Kathmandu has taken initiatives to make monitoring visits by
involving the members of Monitoring Action Committee. Five monitoring visits were conducted
during the year of 2014 and 2015. Finding of the monitoring visit was also shared in the District
Administration Office, Kathmandu in March 2015. Further, Operating Procedure for the
implementation of the Supreme Court Guideline has been finalized by the Monitoring Action
Committee Kathmandu and sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs for final approval.
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