Rescuing Girlhood from Sexual Slavery: A New Approach for Prevention of Sexual Slavery in Nepal

Abstract

Many campaigns to end sex trafficking have been successful at conjuring images of innocent girls abducted from impoverished lands while doing little to actually address the greater issue of culturally accepted sexual exploitation of women and children. This research focuses on policy reform and educational programs to prevent sexual exploitation in Nepal. Nepalese girls face economic, socio-cultural, and political barriers to their livelihood in a country that overwhelmingly exploits them sexually. Through a critique of historical policies and programs that have more interest in regulating the sex industry to the fringe of society, this investigation recommends a new approach that goes beyond simply rescue and rehabilitation of “victims” to target the underlying forces that contribute to sexual exploitation.