Briefing papersJuly 2020Anita Ghimire and Fiona SamuelsAnti-trafficking checkpoint at Nepal–India border. Photo: NISERHuman trafficking is a global issue and continues to be a challenge in Nepal. According to the 2019 National Human Rights Commission of Nepal (NHRC) report, nearly 1.5 million Nepalis are at risk of being trafficked. Around 35,000 people were trafficked in 2018/2019 to work in different sectors, including the adult entertainment sector (AES) (ibid.). While work in the AES does not necessarily always involve commercial sex work, a large part of it is related to this, either directly or as a space to link the client and the sex worker. Recent reports found that people also pay intermediaries to be smuggled to other countries and to work in sectors of their choice (SaMi, 2018). The proliferation of AES activities in Nepal, the country’s linkages to the global AES market and the growing use of technology seem to have increased the international migration of Nepali women and girls who voluntarily travel to work in the AES.In this brief, we analyse the following:Linkages between the AES in Nepal and India.Girls’ aspirations to work in the international AES.Factors that drive these aspirations.The process of recruitment, the financing of migration from the AES in Nepal into the international AES and the migration process itself.We also discuss the cross-border and international migration of adolescents from Nepal to work in the AES. In the broader 'Adolescent Girls in the Adult Entertainment Sector' study, we explored the perceptions and attitudes of both adolescent girls and boys. However, in this brief we focus on adolescent girls, since the international and cross-border dynamics primarily concern them.Read the research Adolescent girls’ experiences of cross-border and international migration in the adult entertainment sector in NepalRelated A tale of contradictions: understanding the impact of social norms on Nepali men and boys This policy brief discusses the complexities, contradictions and deprivations in the lives of men and boys in Nepal.Briefing papers25 March 2020Gendered experiences of adolescents: baseline findings from World Vision's Rupantaram adolescent life skills curriculumThis report presents findings of a baseline study among adolescent girls and boys in Nepal.Research reports and studies12 December 2018Why a gender- and adolescent-specific lens is essential to accelerate progress in eradicating child exploitationThis report examines the magnitude and gendered patterning of child labour and identifies promising entry points to tackle adolescent exploitation.Research reports and studies31 August 2018See more:childhood and youthmigration and refugeesadolescent girlsNepal
