Nepali Women Trafficked for Sex Work: Violence and Human Rights Violations During Sex Trafficking

Background: Sex trafficking has recently been recognized by the United Nations as a human rights violation disproportionately affecting women and girls in Asia. While physical and sexual violence are widely recognized as common experiences for sex trafficked women and girls, little investigation has begun into the scope of such violence and the role it may serve in compromising the health and negotiation capacity of victims. The current report presents data from a record review concerning physical and sexual violence experiences, threats for such violence, and related human rights violations (e.g., denial of food) to inform the full range of such experiences as well as their perpetrators and contexts. Methods: Trafficking experiences narratives obtained from 300 case records of sex trafficked women and girls repatriated to the largest NGO in Nepal working to rehabilitate sex trafficking victims were systematically reviewed. Approximately one third described violence experiences. Qualitative data were abstracted concerning physical and sexual violence victimization, threats, and related human rights violations, and the perpetrator(s), context and timing of such victimization (e.g., during trafficking, immediately on brothel arrival). Data were reviewed to describe the full range of experiences as well as themes therein. Results/Discussion: These exploratory findings will be reviewed from a theoretical perspective to generate hypotheses concerning the roles such abuses may serve in breaking victims down emotionally and potentially compromising their health. Results will inform programs for sex trafficking victims, and guide future quantitative efforts to clarify the prevalence and health impact of violence victimization among sex trafficking victims.