Human trafficking continues to be a serious issue facing remote and vulnerable communities in Nepal. It is estimated that up to 10,000 Nepali girls and women are trafficked into India each year, primarily for sexual exploitation. A growing number of girls are also trafficked within Nepal itself.

Most trafficking victims are from poor, remote villages with low levels of education and limited connectivity to the rest of the country. Girls from marginalised ethnic and indigenous groups are particularly at risk due to social discrimination and limited economic opportunities. Around 70% of trafficking victims are children under 18. 

Key factors behind trafficking include low levels of education,  limited employment opportunities, insufficient awareness of trafficking risks, porous borders and corruption, as well as very sophisticated and organised trafficking organisations. Although Nepal has anti-trafficking laws, only a small fraction of traffickers are ever prosecuted.

Furthermore, Nepal continues to have a rigid caste system, particularly in rural areas, which perpetuates discrimination against certain segments of society. The people of the Badi community in Western Nepal sit on the lowest rung of the Nepali caste system and are often referred to as the “untouchables of the untouchables”. Originally professional dancers and singers, a decline in demand for their services forced Badi women to turn to prostitution to support their families, to the point where it became their default profession.