Trafficking-in-Persons is a complex problem that requires multi-disciplinary solutions with many stakeholders. Nepal is a source, transit and destination country for illegal labor, sex and organ trafficking of adults and children.
Hamro Samman is a five-year program generously supported by the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the British people through the United Kingdom’s UK Aid and implemented by Winrock International. It seeks to build the capacity of, and facilitate coordination among, the Government of Nepal (GON), civil society, and private sector to combat human trafficking in Nepal.
Migration is an important source of income and other benefits for Nepal and the families of migrant workers. Poverty, lack of opportunities at home and a demand for labor in urban areas in Nepal and outside the country are among the reasons for migration. Unfortunately, the legal process for labor migration is slow, bureaucratic, and expensive, encouraging poor communities to seek illegal or underground routes. Some migrants are trafficked or find themselves in exploitative and hazardous working conditions. Those who travel abroad without proper work visas, including women in the domestic work and entertainment industry, often face a multitude of complications when they return and are without legal recourse to claim compensation if they are exploited. In cities and along the highways of Nepal, the entertainment sector, which includes dance bars, dohori and cabin restaurants, and massage parlors, is growing as an informal sector with many businesses unregistered to avoid taxes and other forms of monitoring. Many of the workers in this sector do not know their rights and are expected, if not forced, to provide sexual services.
Many victims and survivors of trafficking lack the resources they need to help them recover. The program strengthens action across the three pillars outlined in the Palermo Protocol: protection, prevention, prosecution. The team works in partnership with the Government of Nepal, civil society organizations and the private sector.
The evidence base on the effectiveness of interventions to combat human trafficking in South Asia is weak. The lack of reliable data has made it harder for stakeholders to identify and implement effective solutions that sustainably address TIP. Therefore, IDS, Karen Snyder and our partners, aim to improve the knowledge base on TIP, identify what works in reducing human trafficking, and improving service delivery to trafficking survivors and people at risk of being trafficked. We work with and support Nepali researchers implementing 5 research projects, we provide technical training for Nepali researchers and technical advice to Hamro Samman’s partners. We use mixed-method techniques in research on victim identification and rescue and rehabilitation. Identification includes both authority based and authority led identification and victim led identification. These are complementary but fundamentally different; some victims can take several years to reflect on whether they see themselves as victims or as independent agents, or as people with agency in some areas and less in others. Rescue and rehabilitation will include involuntary and voluntary rescue. This recognises that some people are rescued against their will, due to the legal conflation of trafficking and sex work, and gendered norms about work and mobility.
This project is made possible by the generous support of the American people and British people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The contents of this webpage are the responsibility of Winrock International and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government or UK aid or the United Kingdom Government.
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