Nepal Research

As I started my research on Nepal I wanted to first look into where it was located and how big or small Nepal actually is. Nepal is a roughly rectangular country with an area of 147,181 square miles. To the south, west, and east it is bordered by Indian states. Nepal is home to the Himalayan Mountains, including Mount Everest. Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with almost one-third of its population living below the poverty line.

I also wanted to research the daily life in Nepal such as what they eat and the economy. I found that most Nepalis do not feel that they eat actual meals every day; some people will go days without eating at all. However rice is a very popular meal for the average Nepal person. If they can afford it, Nepal serves rice with dal, a lentil dish, and tarkari, along with cooked vegetables. However most people do have the luxury of eating this much, and some don’t even have the luxury of eating rice. In the very poor areas of Nepal, rice is scare so the staple food in these areas is called dhiro which is a think mush made of corn or millet. In Nepal you will find it most common for people to be eating on the floor with their hands.

I found it interesting about the different gender roles in Nepal. I found that only men plow, while fetching water is generally considered women's work. Women cook, care for children, wash clothes, and collect firewood and fodder. Men perform the heavier agricultural tasks and often engage in trade, portering, and other work outside the village. Both men and women perform physically demanding labor, but women tend to work longer hours, have less free time, and die younger. In urban areas, men are far more likely to work outside the home. When I found research on this it also said that most women worked in the family business of shopkeepers or seamstresses. However I know that Human Trafficking is a big thing in Nepal.

I found the facts shocking as to what happens in Nepal when it comes to trafficking. Children are trafficked within the country and to India and the Middle East for commercial sexual exploitation or forced marriage, as well as to India and within the country for involuntary servitude as domestic servants, circus entertainers, factory workers, or beggars. There was an estimate that 10,000 to 15,000 Nepali women and girls are trafficked to India annually, while 7,500 children are trafficked domestically for commercial sexual exploitation. The fact that Nepal has no problem doing this to children at such a young age blows my mind! Especially the fact that girls range between ages 7 and 24, with an average age of 15 are typically the ones put into this. Not as much older women. These girls are forced to have sex with as many as 40 clients a day. These girls are not paid and most will never be set free despite what the owners tell them. I found that most men don’t use condoms and HIV and other diseases are transferred and are common to have. Although if they are found with HIV the girls are thrown to the street and have to fend for themselves. Many girls try and go back to their families but the families will not take them back. Personally I think this happens because they are ashamed of all they have done and some of these families actually sold their own children into this life and it would be hard to look at them or accept what you as a parent has done. However it doesn’t mean it is right.

This stuff happens all the time in Nepal and the people of Nepal know it is going on but don’t do anything about it. This is an eye opening research and read of the book Sold and makes me at least want to help in some way.