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From: On Behalf Of Monk, Janice J - (jmonk)
Post Trafficking Livelihoods in Nepal: Women, Sexuality and Citizenship
Diane Richardson, Nina Laurie, Meena Poudel and Janet Townsend,
Ist November 2009 to 30th April 2012-11-23
www.posttraffickingnepal.co.uk/
This project examines livelihood opportunities of sexually trafficked women
on return to their home country, Nepal. There has been little research on
post-trafficking livelihoods, nor how the issues intersect with development
agendas. We wanted to gain knowledge grounded in experiences of returnee
trafficked women We explore the intersections of sexuality, gender and
citizenship in returnee women's livelihood strategies as new democratic
processes, supported by national and transnational communities, unfold.
We conducted 46 interviews with returnee trafficked women in Kathmandu and
provincial/rural sites identified by government for high occurrences of
trafficking. Professionalisation proved an important issue for
anti-trafficking groups, so a sub set of these interviews (9) were with
returnee trafficked women involved as activists in anti-trafficking. A
further 15 stakeholder interviews with activists, key personnel in NGOs and
government were performed. We analysed discourses and emerging policies on
trafficking and citizenship in Nepal, and tracked the evolution of debates
in the Constituent Assembly, convened in 2008 to draft a new constitution.
The processes through which a woman's trafficked identity remains hidden or
disclosed are important to whether they are stigmatised (as 'prostitutes'
and HIV 'carriers') and suffer discrimination. Individual strategies of
dealing with stigma and poverty focus heavily on the labour market. NGOs
play an important role in providing skills-training, including traditional
(e.g. sewing) and non-traditional (e.g. driving motor-rickshaws)
occupations. Some women opted for marriage as a livelihood strategy to
manage stigma and facilitate access to citizenship, despite issues of
personal risk and safety.
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