West Terai, Nepal -- Before venturing to this little-traveled quadrant of Nepal, I was interested to update my research on Katmandu's massage parlors and dance bars.
About four-and-a-half years ago, I gathered an extensive account of how commercial sex is sold with young Nepalese girls in Kathmandu, especially in the tourist area of Thamel.
In shelters, I heard numerous stories from young girls trafficked from rural areas into the clubs and parlors, where they were coerced to perform sex acts with tourists and locals alike.
Each dance bar has a distinctive musical theme -- American pop, Bollywood, etc -- and while one young girl dances on stage, others sit with men at tables trying to transact for sex. If the club is busy and a man does not transact quickly enough, a bouncer tells him to make way for someone who will.
Along with physical coercion, threats against family members ensure the trafficked girls do as they are told. Small amounts of money sent to parents by the victims also pressure some to remain in sex work as long as possible. CNN
