Virginity for Sale: The Dark World of Forced Teen Prostitution

By Kamala Sarup and Lys Anzia, Women News Network. Posted December 17, 2008.

Tamang's heart was broken in two as his wife spoke. He felt as if someone had smeared his burning chest in salt and red chilies.

As Tamang got up abruptly, he thought of the young man, Harka, who grew up in his village. In fact, he had heard rumors from time to time about the intimate relation of his daughter with Harka. Maybe his daughter was taken away by him.

"Harka is not a good man. I don't trust him," thought Tamang. "He was under police custody for seven days when he was involved in a squabble in the village."

Tamang couldn't get a wink of sleep the whole night. On one hand, he was extremely worried at the thought of his missing daughter. On the other hand, his wife didn't allow him to fall asleep because of her nightlong weeping. Seeing his own cold bed, he was angry and disgusted.

"What is the use of such a life which is full of so many wants?" he said. Even if Tamang worked hard through the year, he could not afford sufficient food for the family, nor could he spend more than a few rupees in front of his friends and relatives. And now, on top of it all his daughter, Tara, is lost.

______________________________________________________________________

For more information on sex trafficking in Nepal visit:

Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation -- College of Arts and Sciences, University of Rhode Island and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), Norway

Fallen Angels -- Photo essay by Thomas L. Kelley

Trafficking and Human Rights in Nepal: Community Perceptions and Policy and Program Response, 2001 -- Horizons, Population Council & The Asia Foundation

Litigation, Girl Trafficking in Nepal -- INTS 4945 Human Rights Advocacy Clinic, Jennifer Aengst, 2001

Interim Constitution of Nepal 2063 (2007) -- United Nations Development Program

HIV Prevalence and Prediction in Nepalese Sex-Trafficked Girls -- JAMA, 2007 

In an Emmy Award-winning film, Executive Director of Apneaap Women Worldwide, Ruchira Gupta, goes inside the brothels of Mumbai to show the degradation of girls who have been trafficked from Nepal to serve in India’s sex industry. This is a 8:57-minute film excerpt.

See more stories tagged with: violence, women, rape, sex trafficking, india, hiv, nepal

Lys Anzia is the director of Women News Network, an award-winning playwright, (2007) Pushcart Prize nominee and humanitarian journalist.

Liked this story? Get top stories in your inbox each week from Rights and Liberties! Sign up now »