Nepal
Strategy for addressing child labor, sexual abuse and trafficking in the entertainment industry
Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) has worked to end child labor and trafficking in the circus industry. There is a serious problem of trafficking of young girls between Nepal and India (both countries are on the Tier 2 Watch list in U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report). The girls are trafficked for the purposes of slavery, including sexual slavery and prostitution.
Due to the socio – political situation in Nepal, coupled with illiteracy and ignorance, a large number of children (especially girls) are trafficked into India. Within India, the unorganized sectors like the entertainment industry, circuses, agriculture, brothels, etc., play a willing host to these victims, as a lot of industrial laws are not applicable in these sectors. There is little or no significant effort on the part of the government to prevent these practices. Thus, a pro-active initiative by the civil society sector was imperative in the prevention of abuse and exploitation in these sectors. The initiative was to involve the forces within the industry and ensure legal compliance and human rights' based approach for prevention of a social evil.
Collaborating with the border police to prevent trafficking
Maiti Nepal works closely with the Nepali government to improve the interception of trafficked women and girls. Maiti Nepal’s staff assists the border police by interviewing every vulnerable girl and woman who crosses the border while their traveling companions are interrogated by the police. Maiti Nepal also operates transit homes along the Nepali and Indian border in order to provide shelter and services for the trafficked girls and women identified through their intervention. Maiti Nepal’s border guarding operation has not only rescued hundreds of potential trafficking victims. The tactic has also resulted in legal proceedings against human traffickers, putting pressure upon local administrations to take action against the criminals.

