Modern day slavery in Nepal

Nepal has successfully established itself as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal but when it comes to practice, Nepal still lack modern values of Humanity.  Reality is still today in remote villages there are people and tradition that practices what is said to be beyond laws and social norms. The terms #Kamlari or #Kamaiya might sound different to you but for people living in the Western and Southern part it’s a nightmare of hard labor and endless beating especially in the Tharu community and Dalits.

Let me first explain what these terms mean #kamaiyas mean people bonded laborers who agree to work upon a certain amount of money for a certain time frame.

Kamlari is yet another form of #modern_Day_slavery where young girls and women are sold by their parents into indentured servitude under contract for periods of one year with richer, higher-caste buyers, generally from outside their villages.

With the end of December the community of Tharu rise up to celebrates the Maghi festival, marking the end of winter, with this celebration, the destitute Tharu families whose financial condition are not good sign into contracts with people who want laborers. Unfortunately most of these laborer are below 18 and most of them go through hard labor where as others whose luck run out are picked up by agents who sell them off for #flesh trade .    

These laborers are left behind with no right and no voice where they wounds inflict blood stains of being verbally abused to hard labor to sexual harassment and exploitation.

These days a-lot of Kamaiyas and Kamlaris have gained power both politically and socially but they fail to address these real problems where still today women, men and girls are sold and they  go through this burning hell. I think only few of the handful people have got the benefit of the #Kamlari_Movement and have had the opportunity to woek  in INGOs and NGOs due to their disadvantage where for the rest the ground reality is pain hard work, labor and exploitation.  

Nepal lacks small changes but how, where and when are the things that we fail to realize. 

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Job Opportunities abroad has threats of women trafficking and slavery

HUMAN SLAVERY and TRAFFICKING has been an issue around the globe. Even worst for the developing and underdeveloped countries where they have been trying to find a viable solution. No matter how hard they try their weak economic crisis makes them vulnerable to such externalities. It has been a huge question of identity for the women of the underdeveloped countries where its relevancy is abstract to the question of its definition. Nepal has been trying to fight WOMEN TRAFFICKING andSLAVERY in many ways. The definition and means have been changing according to time and situation. The awareness programs are getting intense to deal with the hardcore business where the business is also expanding and adapting new forms among its competition and prospects. Like such talking more about today’s TRAFFICKING and SLAVERYsituation, things have changed. The old scenario of agents have transformed into variables of uncountable people in a network that links thousands of people that cannot be easily calculated. Bate for today’s has been lucrative salary and website that lures women of all over especially underdeveloped countries to earn more in despite attempt to save their financial condition. Willingly or unwillingly women are being TRAFFICKED in the name of MIGRANT WORKERS for the treachery of MODERN DAY SLAVERY.

Under the Foreign Employment act of Nepal, “It is clearly said that any person or agency involved with foreign employment have to be registered under the ministry and has to follow the norms and regulations of the foreign employment act. If not then they will be considered illegal. The company has to follow certain rules and regulation regarding the training, awareness and other aspect of the rights of the worker in safeguarding and protecting the migrant worker in the foreign land.”

In a recent case, around 3000 Nepali migrant women were stopped at Indian airports of New Delhi and Mumbai, who were trying to fly to Saudi Arab. They were stopped as they lacked proper documents and in questionnaire they prove to have no answer regarding their status. The ratio of illegal foreign employment migration has been increasing where it is considered to be 63,000 Nepali women working in Saudi Arabia but the official figure confirms only 2,540. It is clearly stated in the Foreign Employment Act 2007 that flying from a foreign airport for foreign employment without getting foreign employment permit is illegal.
With or without knowledge these women are taken in by a network of agents who land them up in their desired destination with no security and rights. These women are then exploited and harassed both physically and verbally. In most cases they are turned back either when they are dead or in case of pregnancy which makes it evident for their illegal status.

Like such the guardian in its latest coverage, Beirut death of Nepalese migrant worker Lilaquotes, “Lila Aacharya left Nepal hoping to make a better life for her two young daughters. Two months later her body was flown home. Lila's case exposes the toll of HUMAN TRAFFICKING- from her attempt to escape the poverty of her village in the Himalayan foothills to her exploitation and death as a domestic worker in an up market apartment in Beirut.”

The case of woman exploitation and harassment in foreign lands are on high trail especially in the Arab world. The job employment opportunities have evolved as the form of MODERN DAY SLAVERY. Women migrants workers are explicitly exploited sexually, verbally and in most case are killed due to lack of weak labor standards. This is the reality of today that has explored the possibilities of what can turn to one mistake of making the wrong choice and not knowing your rights.


According to Aasha Lama, President of Aasha H4 Foundation, “The government has set up few parameters for the foreign job employment and why we are not following that is a question. Women Trafficking is not a simple issue it’s a social issue which needs to be cooperated from all sides. We at the foundation believe any women migrating abroad without knowing her right and stand is wrong. We say to send people without following the rules and regulations of the government, illegally is a new form of women trafficking and we strongly oppose it. We challenge all the people who have been sending women abroad without following the rules and regulation. They are culprits as when the government has set up the parameters why are we not following it.”

“A woman being sold or exploited aboard is not a question of her disgrace it’s a shame for the whole country which needs to be understood and worked. Being abroad is not easy situation but being aware is a situation that can be worked and controlled,” added she.
To be or not to be is not a question but to make the choice is more vital to make your own will and standing. Foreign Employment opportunities seem as a very lucrative sector for underdeveloped and developing nation but to the extent it is evolving as the legal way ofMODERN DAY SLAVERY and TRAFFICKING. In a country like ours that fights to hold its existence the question of huge revenues earned from foreign employment certainly holds the economy but to its counterpart it also questions cons of this field. Foreign employment opportunity can be a form of huge revenue but on the other side it has also evolved as a form ofHUMAN SLAVERY or HUMAN TRAFFICKING which needs to be studied and researched.

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