Girl trafficking has created a worldwide crisis, bringing women from economically poor regions to larger cities of countries of higher economic status. Women and even some men are trafficked for a variety of reasons including agricultural, sweatshop labour, and prostitution. In Nepal most women are trafficked for sexual exploitation. Widespread economic inequality, the low status of women and girls, corruption, and lack of law enforcement are the root causes of trafficking. Since trafficking in women and children has been a problem all over South Asia, the Convention on trafficking has been ratified by all the SAARC member countries including Nepal. However, its successful implementation depends on each government's commitment.

The Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women, and Asia based networking organization has defined trafficking as, "…the transporting of a person from one place to another through means of deception, kidnapping, actual threat or implied violence, and or the abuse of individuals in actual or perceived position of authority. An individual may be trafficked for the purposes of domestic employment, work in the commercial sex industry, manual labour, the circus and marriage."

Sexual exploitation in Nepal: The process of trafficking of girls and women in Nepal has been evolving since traditional times. Long ago, girls were brought from different parts of the country to serve as attendants and cooks in the palaces and wealthy homes of Katmandu. Many of them were used as objects of recreation and sexual pleasure. Although in a different form, this process continues to this day as girls and women from Nepali villages are trafficked to cities in India and elsewhere to work as prostitutes and labourers. Trafficking also still thrives within Nepal itself. From the 1950s to the 1970s the movement of migrant labour from Nepal to India was limited only to men, but in the last 20 years this trend has been changing, and Nepal has become a major exporter of Nepali girls to India, the Middle East, and elsewhere.

From homes to hotels, women and girls from a variety of situations are sold by close relatives, coerced or tricked by pimps or in hopes for a better life travel or are forced to go abroad. Often they see no hope within their subsistence lifestyle to climb out of poverty and constant agricultural drudgery. Most of the trafficked girls are from the lowest income groups and/or broken homes. All men, women and children feel the effect of poverty and yet it is the women and girls who suffer the most. Because of the intense burden of agricultural labour in the villages, many women and girls are easily lured with the promise of a better life. In order to attract the girls of poor families into the sex trade, female pimps visit different villages, dressed in expensive clothes.

For economic reasons, the "multitude" of options offered by employment agencies seem like a solution for some women in Nepal. In our country it is said that 150 employment agencies are working in our country. Many of agencies are becoming involved in trafficking. A few have been charged due to their inadequate legal status and some have been prosecuted for their illegal activities related to girl trafficking. Some are permitted to work in collaboration with the government to send people to foreign countries. These employment organizations send unskilled labourers to countries in the Middle East and other parts of the world, but often it is just a cover up for supplying Nepali girls to prostitution rings worldwide. Nepali women and girls leave the village with the dream of a rising out of poverty, and fall victim to the most abusive relationships. Recent studies have shown that the majority of girls involved in prostitution in Kathmandu are waitresses in dance restaurants.

Economic contribution of migrant labour and trafficking: The economic "contribution" of trafficking is no small thing. According to the IOM, the 4 million people who are smuggled and trafficked around the world each year generate about 5-7 billion dollars annually. According to recent estimates of the International Monetary Fund, migrant workers' remittances accounted for 77 billion dollars second only to world petroleum.

In recent years, the Nepalese government, knowing of this financial contribution of migrant workers, is encouraging young people to go to foreign countries to find work instead of creating more jobs in the country. Remittances play a vital role in the Nepali economy. Every year 70 billion rupees are sent back to Nepal by Nepalis working abroad, which is the same about received each year in foreign aid. Because of the significant contribution from remittances, and in turn the government's encouragement of Nepalis working abroad, sexual exploitation is indirectly sanctioned and promoted by the Nepali government.

Nepali women returning home: Research has shown that among Nepali women trafficked to foreign countries, only 20 percent come back. The majority of NGOs are already focusing on awareness generation and rehabilitation of the Nepalis who return home. These programs usually do not reach women before they are trafficked. Even if women are exposed to a trafficking awareness campaign, they may not have any other economic option which makes them susceptible to trafficking. Although education and rehabilitation are important aspects of the trafficking problem, they do not address the root causes which is poverty. More efforts need to be focused on employment, income generation, and strengthening women's bargaining power within the home and community, otherwise trafficking will continue to be a serious problem. Often when Nepali girls return home after their experiences, their families and comminutes do not accept them back. They become victims of prostitution even after they attempt to return to their villages.

One returned Nepali woman, Durga Maya Rai, talked about her sorrowful experience. According to her about 360 women in Saudi Arabia are suffering like her and she blamed the Middle East Manpower Company. As she complained to the police the pimps who were involved in sending her abroad threatened her.
Solution: Reforms in economic conditions, education, employment, and poverty alleviation to enhance women's capacity are needed. Until girls and women get more opportunities in their daily lives, they will not be able to take part in the decision making process within the family as well as in the community or in society. Those who are bound to migrate are victims of social injustice. Today's development pattern has created many social problems by addressing only symptoms rather than causes. If the government takes seriously the recently ratified SAARC Convention on Trafficking action must be taken to enhance women's capacity to be designers of their own development.