Extent and nature of involvement in commercial sex of young migrant women working in carpet and garment factories in Nepal.
Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. D10416)
Puri M Centre for Research on Environment Health & Population Activities, Kathmandu, Nepal
Migration is identified as one of the risk factor for HIV/AIDS including other sexually transmitted infections. In Nepal, the expanding textile industry in the Kathmandu valley has attracted large numbers of rural young people to work as carpet and garment weavers in factories. Alongside economic migration, young people experience significant shifts in lifestyle, due to changes in their living arrangements and exposure to a wide range of new social networks, ideas, and behaviours. Moving away from the social controls of family and community, demonstrations effects of the urban life they would easily be lured into easy way of income. It is a common assumption among the AIDS prevention programmers in Nepal that these young girls are also involved in commercial sex. This paper aims to investigate the extent and nature of involvement of these young female migrant workers in the sex profession. The analysis is based on individual interviews with 500 boys and 550 girls aged 14-19 years and 23 in-depth case historie s. The study revealed that one in twenty girls working in the carpet and garment factories were involved in commercial sex. The nature of the involvement ranges from giving accompanies to men to watch movies, allow for kissing, petting, touching genital areas to penetrative sex. Receiving items in exchange varied from "Bindi", bangles, and clothes to cash. In-depth interviews revealed that in many occasions many boys or the employers cheat the young girls and sexually exploit them, and then they turn into the sex profession. The results suggest the need for a programme that sensitizes to reduce the high aspiration in life and focuses on negative consequences of involving in sex profession on reproductive and sexual health. Programme also should aim to provide appropriate service, care and support to these young migrant women workers.
Keywords: AEGIS, Transients and Migrants, Gender Identity, Coitus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Work, Nepal, Behavior, Occupations, Nature, Humans, Female, Male, economics
