Title: Fighting against Women Trafficking in Nepal
Speaker: Anuradha Koirala
Date: March 5, 2003 Wednesday
Time: 7:30 - 9:30 pm
Location: Sever Hall 213,
Harvard Yard, Harvard University,
Cambridge
http://map.harvard.edu/level2/2Yard.shtml
Reception follows immediately after the talk at:
Venue: Cafe of India Restaurant, Harvard Square
Cover: Buffet dinner for $10/- person only
Seats are limited for the reception. Call Prasanna Dhungel
at 617 784 5988 or Rajesh Babu Shrestha at 617 413 0283
in advance to reserve spots.
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Overview:
More than 200,000 young Nepali girls, mostly under 16,
have been sold to brothels in India. Sadly, this trend
is on the rise. Although the law against Human
Trafficking was enacted in Nepal as early as 1963,
enforcement has largely failed to crack down on the
network of traffickers. People close to power and
politicians themselves are said to be protecting and
supporting the exploiters of this heinous crime. When
the abused women return to Nepal, often bearing HIV
and other diseases, they are shunned by their
community and sometimes even their own parents.
Maiti Nepal is a social organization that rescues and
rehabilitates trafficked women and children from Nepal
and India. Over the past 10 years, Maiti Nepal has
worked with local authorities and villagers to rescue
more than 5,000 women and children ? providing them
with numerous services including healthcare,
rehabilitation and counseling services ? as well as
teaching income generating skills. Maiti Nepal also
works to find justice for the victimized lot of girls
and women by engaging in criminal investigations and
waging legal battles against the criminals ? Maiti
Nepal has initiated 160 lawsuits in various courts
involving nearly 400 traffickers.
About the Speaker
Anuradha Koirala founded Maiti Nepal in 1993 with a
group of socially committed professionals. Her work
has been recognized with numerous international awards
including Best Social Worker, Nepal (2000) and 100
Heroines Award, USA (1998). Formerly a schoolteacher,
Ms Koirala will also speak about her motivations and
her sheer courage in daring to fight against Nepal's
most insidious social evils: child prostitution and
international women trafficking. Ms Koirala was
recently appointed Minister for Women, Children and
Social Welfare, Nepal.
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