Human Trafficking in Nepal and India

I started my research by typing “Nepal” and “India” into two separate search engines just to get some general information about them. Nepal is located in South Asia in the Himalayas and shares a northern border with China and southern, eastern, and western borders with India. India shares western borders with Pakistan; north-east borders with China, Nepal, and Bhutan; and eastern borders with Burma and Bangladesh. Traditionally, Nepal and India have been close because of their geographic location, their common religious views, and overlapping linguistic and cultural identities. In 1950, they commenced their relationship with the Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship. There was also an accompanying agreement on bilateral trade, trade transporting Indian soil, as well as letters determining their security relations. The treaty and letters stated that both sides must “inform each other of any serious friction or misunderstanding with any neighbouring state likely to cause any breach in the friendly relations subsisting between the two governments” and that “neither government shall tolerate any threat to the security of the other by a foreign aggressor.”

            I also did some research on human trafficking between Nepal and India. A lot of what I read was horrifying and unsettling information to read. One source said that UNICEF reported around 7,000 women and girls being trafficked every year out of Nepal and into India and that currently, there are approximately 200,000 working in Indian brothels. The same source stated that some NGOs reported between 12,000 to 15,000 women and girls trafficked each year. I understand that because human trafficking is such a huge problem, it makes it difficult to track the exact numbers. However, there is a huge difference between what UNICEF reported (7,000) and what NGOs reported (12,000- 15,000). The statistics between the two leaves a gap ranging from 5,000 to 8,000 women and girls being trafficked each year. It’s disturbing to me that these two sources have such a large gap between their estimations. As shocking as that is, I came across another piece of information that was even more so. This source also reported that the average age of women and girls being trafficked is 15, but that some are as young and 7 and as old as 24. It’s terrible enough that there are women being torn from their homes and forced into this life, but the fact that some are as young as 7 makes it even more awful to imagine.

            As I continued my research about human trafficking, I came across an appalling and completely outrageous piece of information. One source said that most of the women and girls being trafficked are virgins. They also said that virgins are more valuable to traffickers because of the myth that having sex with a virgin or younger girl will cure HIV and other STDs. This completely shocked me. How could they believe this to be true? I continued my research and found that this is a common cultural belief in some parts of the world. This myth is such a huge issue because it rapidly spreads HIV and STDs. The people who believe this myth not only pass on HIV and STDs to the girls being trafficked, but to many others. The man may believe himself to be cured and will continue having unprotected sex, in turn, spreading the disease to all of his sexual partners. In addition, the girls being trafficked, now possibly carrying the diseases, will continue being trafficked and spread the diseases to others as well.

            Doing this research was very difficult but I also think that it was very educational and important for me to learn. It has opened my eyes to what a big issue human trafficking is. It’s not only a problem in the sense that women and girls being sold, but in the way it rapidly spreads HIV and STDs. The fact that many cultures around the world believe in the myth about curing HIV and STDs was something I had never even considered when thinking about human trafficking. Although these things may be uncomfortable to read about, it’s important to increase awareness about them so that more can be done to help prevent it from happening in the future.