Nepal Grapples with Prostitution

Many Nepali youth today seem to be more attracted to recreational sex than ever. A sign of this may be the 100-plus massage parlors in the Thamel district of Kathmandu alone. Despite the occasional police raid, very few have been shut down, so we can assume a brisk trade, with the usual attendant corruption.

These parlors have spread from Thamel to all parts of the Kathmandu valley. Fees depend on location. Let's call our anonymous 33-year-old client "Vijay," who says the rate in Thamel is NPR 500 (US$7) and NPR 250 in Kalimati (for civilians -- for servicemen the rate is only NPR 150) and that it's better to go to Kalimati because the police won't raid there. The only problem with Kalimati, he explained, was having to wait in line.

It's not just massage parlors but also "cabin" and "dance" restaurants that cater to the sex industry and whose menus offer more than just food.

Seventeen-year-old "Jina" works in a parlor in Thamel and says clients aren't interested in physical therapy other than sex, like "all men," she claims. Rather than patronize the parlor directly, she adds that clients generally contact her by cell phone and take her to places like Nagarkot and occasionally Chitwan as well, paying the entire tab and leaving a hefty tip. When asked if she was happy selling her body for a living, she responded "No," but that it was her "compulsion," not having sufficient education to get a job in a nice environment.

Much is heard about the "women" issue and how they should be treated and take part equally alongside men. There seem to be endless seminars in the five-star hotels and millions of rupees spent, but, ironically, nothing seems to get done in real life. Who in the world would like to sell his/her body? Women in the massage parlors are forced into selling their bodies for two square meals a day, which is the unvarnished reality. The money spent on seminars and receptions could be more properly used to teach these at-risk young women marketable job skills.
Poverty and the consequent lack of education are the prime culprits, but they are also open to exploitation by some people, including the police.

In Nepal the sex industry is illegal but is growing day by day, and it could become a social problem if the government does not take action, such as legalizing prostitution, which would at least bring in revenue and minimize the number of underage girls entering the world's "oldest profession.

If commercialized sex is legalized, the exploitation of under-age girls could even be eliminated, and the women involved could receive preventive health care to reduce the spread of STDs. The government probably could not eradicate this "industry" totally, but, by legalizing it, people might rethink their choices. For example, if a small boy is told, "Do not smoke," he may be tempted, but if told "Smoking is harmful to your health," it might cause him to hesitate if a friend offers him a cigarette. The government must work along with others, including NGOs, before this problem gets out of hand. The women and youth of the country have to have a better choice than to fall into a trap like this, from which a return can be very difficult.

By dinkar_sigdel

News and Photo Source: cjnepal.org