Desperate Girls

The Badi Girls

Between 7,000 and 12,000 young girls, aged 9-16, are trafficked each year from Nepal; mainly to India. According to Nepal Monitor/On line journal, 2007, there are more than 200,000 Nepali girls in Indian brothels.

The Dalits(untouchables) are the lowest level in Hindu society, and the Badi community, in Western Nepal, are the lowest of the low. As a displaced hungry people group the Badi community has made sexual subservience a way of life. Young girls from this group “serve” other groups. This has become a tradition and means of livelihood. Many girls, even when they are unwilling, are forced to serve as sex slaves. Family members knowingly sell their daughters to traffickers.

Though prostitution is illegal in Nepal, the industry reportedly has links with highly ranked officials and political leaders. Large groups of girls are taken across the border with many police and government officials being in collusion with traffickers and brothel owners.

Traffickers and related criminals are often protected by political parties, and if arrested, are freed using political power. As a result, there is an underlying distrust of police that has led people not to file cases against traffickers.

Domestic action involves activities of NGO’s and other volunteer groups. These groups are playing a major role to address girl-trafficking and sex slaves issues. Some NGO’s are playing a very important role to improve the situation. From creating social awareness to rescuing and rehabilitation, they are providing services (and relief) to those that need it the most – the likely victims as well as the rescued ones. The Lighthouse foundation is one of these.

*See Chandra Kala’s story on this blog site.

Sunday 13 January 2013

Friday- Ups and downs of Nepal

We only had two 15 min. blocks of electricity in 24 hours, today.  We had food defrosting in out little fridge, I just started the washing as soon as the power came on and then it went off again.  I had to go all the washing Nepalese style, by hand.  These poor women do it all the time.  Then the washing machine broke down when the power came back on again,  We had new people arriving and we were stumbling around in the dark, as they hadn't brought torches.  But on the other hand we took some of our folks to see the girls and the babies at Tusal, and Stephen Fyson taught the kids some action songs  and they really loved all that. During the day it is lovely on the flat roof tops of the buildings here.  The kids have their lunch there.  Eating mountains of rice with dahl and curried veges.

Robyn

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