Child rights activists are concerned that the lack of robust laws against the sexual abuse of children is putting a large number of young domestic workers at risk.
According to a study by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), there are an estimated 21,000 child domestics working in the capital, Kathmandu, alone. A large number of children migrate from villages due to extreme poverty in search of a better life.
But many of the children coming to the capital end up working in difficult places like factories, brick kilns, restaurants and domestic service, according to Children-Women In Social Service and Human Rights (CWISH), a local NGO that has campaigning actively against the sexual abuse of domestic child workers.
“The worst victims are the domestic child workers who endure their abuse behind closed doors as they don’t have their parents to protect them and don’t know who to share their problems with,” said child rights activist Milan Dharel from CWISH.
Over 54 percent of child domestic workers were found to have been abused by either their employers or by neighbours or family friends, according to a baseline study done by CWISH in 2005.
Children working as domestics are particularly susceptible to sexual abuse as they are slow to complain, fearing that they would lose their jobs and have to return to their villagers.
“It’s very tough to win a case against the [sexual] abuser and the lack of specific laws against child sexual abuse promotes impunity for these perpetrators,” explained Dharel. Every year, CWISH receives more than 40 cases of child sexual abuse.
Nepal has laws against rape but nothing specific on sexual abuse as such charges are difficult to prove, according to Save the Children (SCF-Norway).
“It is high time that we amended our laws relating to children and it should be a top priority among our lawmakers to introduce a law that fights against sexual abuse,” said Sita Ghimire from the SCF-Norway.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Child Welfare Board of the government has been working on proposing a new act to the Nepalese parliament on sexual abuse.
CWISH launched a 10-day campaign on 20 Nov to raise public awareness of the issue, said Dharel.
nn/sc/jl
According to a study by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), there are an estimated 21,000 child domestics working in the capital, Kathmandu, alone. A large number of children migrate from villages due to extreme poverty in search of a better life.
But many of the children coming to the capital end up working in difficult places like factories, brick kilns, restaurants and domestic service, according to Children-Women In Social Service and Human Rights (CWISH), a local NGO that has campaigning actively against the sexual abuse of domestic child workers.
“The worst victims are the domestic child workers who endure their abuse behind closed doors as they don’t have their parents to protect them and don’t know who to share their problems with,” said child rights activist Milan Dharel from CWISH.
Over 54 percent of child domestic workers were found to have been abused by either their employers or by neighbours or family friends, according to a baseline study done by CWISH in 2005.
Children working as domestics are particularly susceptible to sexual abuse as they are slow to complain, fearing that they would lose their jobs and have to return to their villagers.
“It’s very tough to win a case against the [sexual] abuser and the lack of specific laws against child sexual abuse promotes impunity for these perpetrators,” explained Dharel. Every year, CWISH receives more than 40 cases of child sexual abuse.
Nepal has laws against rape but nothing specific on sexual abuse as such charges are difficult to prove, according to Save the Children (SCF-Norway).
“It is high time that we amended our laws relating to children and it should be a top priority among our lawmakers to introduce a law that fights against sexual abuse,” said Sita Ghimire from the SCF-Norway.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Child Welfare Board of the government has been working on proposing a new act to the Nepalese parliament on sexual abuse.
CWISH launched a 10-day campaign on 20 Nov to raise public awareness of the issue, said Dharel.
nn/sc/jl
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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