ABC Nepal was the first Nepalese organisation to raise the issue of human trafficking on a national level, and did so by organizing conferences about the trafficking of underage girls and sex slavery in Nepal in 1991. It is one of the leading organisations working in this field. The combined effort of ABC Nepal along with other organisations has led to the creation and implementation of various laws regarding women rights and human trafficking. ABC Nepal played a part in the rescue of 35 girls from the Apollo circus in New Delhi in 1996. They have also helped to rescue girls from brothels in India working as a sex slaves and later to rehabilitate them back into society. They work to prevent trafficking in women and children by generating social awareness especially among rural people and conducting border monitoring and cross border programs.
Focus area of work
Girls from Nepal constitute the majority of commercial sex workers in India. Most of them are minors and most are infected with HIV. They live in horrible conditions, such as red light zones where they are abused physically and sexually, bonded by the owner for years, tortured and imprisoned. On the other hands poor families living in rural parts of Nepal get easily attracted to the city, which offers good jobs and a better overall life. The illiterate girls are made to sell their body to re-earn the amount including the interest for which they were bought by the brothel and hence entrapped as bonded labour for years. Escape is virtually impossible under the direct surveillance, threat, and terror of owners. Corruption is prevalent in both the police and governments of India and Nepal, making both the trafficking easy and escape near impossible. The virgins, once worshiped as Goddess Kumari, return home back with HIV and the stigma attached to it. This makes them unacceptable to society, making reintegration and repatriation difficult and sometimes impossible. Besides sexual exploitation, girls have also been trafficked for various other reasons, including to have their kidneys sold, to be forced into marriage, or to work as domestic workers and cheap labourers in various parts of India. With the changing public perspective of migration, raising level of awareness among women, and the shift of trafficking pattern in Nepal, ABC Nepal has now been focusing on trafficking of girls beyond India, especially in Saudi Arabia. Lots of Nepali youth are moving to Arabian countries, Malaysia, or elsewhere for newer and better employment opportunities, especially as housekeepers and factory workers. Many girls lured by dream of better world and job follow the path led by unauthorized dealers and traffickers and end up being sexually exploited and enslaved.
Programs and activities
ABC Nepal has provided income-generating training to rural women and victims of trafficking to help them alleviate their poverty and improve their living standard. They have formed more than 300 women cooperative groups. ABC Nepal has also promoted self-reliance, self-confidence and leadership skill in women by economic empowerment, vocational training, and non formal education. The nonprofit focuses on reproductive health providing education to secondary school children's and operating health clinics and safe abortion campaigns. They have placed a special focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness. The group enhances leadership in women and increases the participation of affected women at the local, regional, and national level. They also provide legal protection and can represent the victims in legal processes. ABC Nepal operates rehabilitation homes in Kathmandu, Bhairahawa, and Biratnagar to provide shelter to the victims of trafficking and violence against women. ABC Nepal is raising awareness for safe migration. For example, the group monitored the Tribhuwan International Airport, establishing help desk in major border transit of Bhairahawa. The current rehabilitation and reintegration programs are producing positive results.
Geographical area coverage
The organization covers eastern, central, and western development regions.
