Kathmandu, March 13, 2023:  In the largest study of its kind, 400 life stories were collected and analyzed by children and young people in the worst of child labour in the Kathmandu valley’s adult entertainment venues that include dance bar, cabin restaurant, spa and massage parlour, dohori restaurant, and small snack shops (khaja ghars).

In a press event in Kathmandu today, Child Labour: Action Research Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia (CLARISSA) Nepal which conducted the research shared the findings from the study with media persons. The study was conducted in the Valley’s major adult entertainment hotspots including Gongabu, Kalanki, Thamel, Durbarmarg, Sundhara, Koteshwor, Manohara areas.

“This research reveals different pathways for children into the worst forms of child labor in the adult entertainment sector in Nepal. There are linkages between family’s poor economic condition and children going to Kathmandu and/or beginning to work there. Family health issues and disruption at home such as parental alcoholism, family violence and parent separation are reasons behind financial troubles,” Samjhana Bhujel, a researcher with CLARISSA Nepal said.

Ranjana Sharma, another researcher with CLARISSA Nepal said, “Children working in the adult entertainment sector are stigmatized by society. Therefore their lived experiences remain hidden. At CLARISSA Nepal, we listen to children and learn from their experiences. Our research showcases issues these children face that drive the worst forms of child labour in the adult entertainment sector in Nepal.”

The life stories reveal different abusive and exploitative practices, including harassment and bullying, against children in child labour in the adult entertainment sector by both customers and employers. They also reveal different intermediaries typically relatives, friends, neighbors or brokers who children rely on to find work.

Highlighting the significance of the research, Sudhir Mall, the Country Coordinator of CLARISSA Nepal, said, “The issue of the worst forms of child labor in Nepal is a systemic problem. To address the issue, we need to understand its dynamics and their relationships within the larger system. The CLARISSA research reveals the system dynamics that would be helpful for all, including families and schools, to come together to innovate solutions for the wellbeing including the mental health, of children engaged in the worst forms of child labour in Nepal’s adult entertainment sector.”

Note: CLARISSA has a participatory and child-centred approach that supports children in the worst forms of child labour to gather evidence, analyse it themselves and generate solutions to the problems. CLARISSA is a consortium of civil society organizations led by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), together with Terre des hommes (Tdh), Child Hope UK and Consortium for Street Children, to generate a strong evidence base on, and innovative solutions to, the worst forms of child labour (WFCL) in Bangladesh and Nepal. In Nepal, Nepal CLARISSA is primarily focused on the WFCL in the Adult Entertainment Sector and is coordinated by Voice of Children (VoC) in partnership with Children-Women in Social Work and Human Rights (CWISH) and Tdh Nepal.

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For any press query, please contact:

Arun Rai

Communications Specialist, CLARISSA Nepal

Mobile: 9851179470