Nepal, India, and Human Trafficking

I knew very little about Nepal and India before this assignment. I've studied India's art history and have always wanted to see the Taj Mahal in person. However, I never really looked into the current issues going on there. As far as Nepal goes, I knew Mt. Everest was there, and that was about it. Because Mt. Everest is located in Nepal, I knew the area receives a good number of visitors each year, and local Sherpas are the guides on expeditions. My exposure to these countries has been limited, and it's something I don't realize until I'm given an assignment like this. My goal is to become more informed once this class is over.

The main religion practiced in Nepal is Hinduism, followed by Buddhism. These two often intersect. Hinduism is the primary religion practiced in India as well, and it too has been shaped by Buddhism as well as other religions. Nepal is a much poorer country than India. India has a thriving film industry, a rich literary history, and is an emerging force in different industries within the global economy. India has a caste system in its society, which is a means of social stratification. In the past, people of low castes had a hard time moving up in the system, but now there seems to be an effort in the work environment to hire people of low castes along with people from higher castes.

I had no idea that human trafficking was such a huge problem between these countries. I was shocked at the numbers: 10,000 girls being trafficked to India each year. Oftentimes the traffickers are cooperating with local police or authorities, so the system is very corrupt. There seems to be a stigma around girls who have been sex workers, because if they make it back to their families, they will most likely be rejected. These girls have a very difficult time going back to normal society and often go back into the sex industry because they have no other options. The idea of purity seems to be valued; sleeping with a virgin girl is believed to cure HIV.

When I learned about the magnitude of this problem I felt overwhelmed and helpless. It is happening on such a large scale. What can I possibly do with this information, besides trying to calm the sick feeling in my stomach? How does this become a part of human society? Why are little girls put into the sex industry, and how is that possibly accepted? These girls' lives are being taken away from them. Some will know nothing else but this cruel reality. I am so glad that there are survivors speaking out and making this issue more publicly known. People need to know about this.