Media Activism for
Support to Prevention of Trafficking in Women and
Girls in Nepal
FORM : Investigative Journalism
LOCATION: Nepal, and selected
metropolitan cities of India, namely, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.
LANGUAGE : Nepali and English
BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
In 1997, ASMITA prepared a project plan to support the
national campaign for preventing trafficking in women and girls through
media activism. The project was divided into two phases. In the first phase,
we reviewed all the available literature, media coverage and legal documents
of the past ten years related to the trafficking. The first literature
review phase of the project was executed just to derive the exact situation
of the trafficking in Nepal, and find out how the Nepali media is presenting
the issue so that the findings could help us in designing the second phase
of media activism. We published the findings of the literature review in a
report form entitled Efforts to Prevent Trafficking in Women and
Girls: A Pre-study for Media Activism in June 1998.
In January 21, 2000, ASMITA conducted a seminar to
discuss on the findings of the report. Representatives of several media
organizations, GOs, NGOs, and women’s advocacy groups working in the sector
of trafficking actively participated in the seminar. Based on the findings
of the report and the discussion in the seminar, some important conclusions
regarding the coverage of trafficking in the media can be epitomized as
follows:
- The proportion of Nepali women presently involved
into flesh trade at the Indian brothels ranges from 5,000 to 200,000,
according to the data provided by different agencies. Misquoting,
exaggerating and many times not giving the source of the data are very
common in the media.
- It is obvious that most of the trafficked women are
transported to India, however, the media has reported several cases of
women trafficked to the countries other than India. Such cases are
presented with generalized statements without giving sufficient evidences.
- The media has focused more on the supply centers (i.e., the poor
villages of Nepal) and less on the demand centers (i.e., the sex market).
Another sector the media has given less importance is the world of
victimizers, that is, the underworld of the pimps, brokers, brothel
keepers, clients etc.
- It is a commonplace to produce the news about the
arrest of some culprits, which is mostly provided by the police. In such
news, usually a victim’s detail accounts of how she was lured by the
culprit are given and even with the victim’s photograph. The media seems
to be less interested in giving photograph and identity of the culprits,
their background, their nature of work and how they came in contact with
the crime world etc.
- The media rarely discusses about the legal
complications while dealing with the crime of trafficking. Many news come
in the media based on the court decision to punish a culprit, while the
discussion inside the court related to the cases of trafficking never
comes out. Similarly, the police activities in dealing with the culprit
and the procedural difficulties faced by them do not come in the media.
The report and the seminar participants had offered many
recom-mendations to the media. Some significant recommendations are:
- The media should not publicize the statistics
produced by NGOs, governmental agencies and the police without considering
their vested interest. The reference of the data producing agency, the
size of the study sample and the methods applied in the data collection
and analysis should be given as far as possible.
- It is obvious that most of the trafficked women are
transported to India, however, the media has reported several cases of
women trafficked to the countries other than India. Such cases are
presented with generalized statements without giving sufficient evidences.
It should not be assumed that Nepali women are being trafficked to India
and other countries only. There may be many women and girls trafficked for
prostitution within the country’s territory. The media should try to probe
on this fact.
- As far as the huge sex market in India exists, the
trafficking from Nepal cannot be abolished. The media should not only
concentrate on supply centers (i.e., the villages of the country), but
also on the demand centers (i.e., the red-light areas and brothel houses).
- The media should emphasize on the court cases related
to the trafficking. The court discussion and police actions should be
given in the media.
- There are several untouched areas on which the media
needs to do investigation such as the world of victimizers, the magnitude
of trafficking, trafficking within the national territory, court cases,
rescue and rehabilitation of the victims, and so on.
- The journalists working in the print media also need
re-education on the use of language and illustration, collection of
information, and presentation while reporting on the trafficking.
In sum, the media coverage of the trafficking so far is
inappropriate, insufficient, and above all not helping to prevent the crime.
Thus, this project aims to find out and collect main hindrances and factors,
which are responsible for the existence and promotion of the trafficking.
GOAL AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The major goal of the project is to support the regional
campaign for the prevention of trafficking in women and girls through media
activism. The specific objectives of the project is:
To produce and disseminate investigative/research
articles on the trafficking from a new perspective, approach and insight.
In the findings of the seminar and first research phase,
the chapters related to the print media and law, plan and policy identified
and recommended many areas for investigation, which should be done by media
organizations. Now, we have selected and given priority to some specific
areas for investigative journalism. The major identified fields to be
researched are as follows:
i. Criminal Networking
Observing the large magnitude of the problem the
concerned individuals and authorities are telling that there is a huge mafia
and strong networking among criminals to protect and promote trafficking in
women and girls. In fact, the trend and format of criminal networking is
still vague and abstract for all. Through this investigation, it is expected
to know the reality of criminal networking and if so, to expose the
criminals and syndicates through the media which can make the vulnerable
groups aware of them.
ii. The World of Victimizers and Demand Centers
The previous research has shown that till the date, the
media is more concentrated on the supply side and covering more stories and
news about the victims and their periphery in the origin. Another part of
this problem, i.e., the world of victimizers and the real situation of
victims in the demand centers have not been reported in the media after
field investigation. From which concept and real condition of the
victimizers can be highlighted in the media.
iii. Political Protection and Police Involvement
It is assumed that political leaders and parties protect
the traffickers, as well as police force itself is involved in the
trafficking. Unfortunately, the evidences are almost in zero number to prove
this fact. Investigation on these fields can depict the reality and its
coverage on media can contribute to redress such protection and involvement
in the trafficking trade.
iv. Court Cases
The cases related to the trafficking and finalized by
different levels of the court should be seriously studied and deeply
analyzed in order to find out the loopholes of law and erroneous aspects in
legal system. The study might help to find out the background of criminals
too, court and administrative process from rescue to the final decision in
the court and its overall impact on the victims would be studied. As the
findings of this study, solutions and practical ways to reform our law and
legal system regarding trafficking in women and girls may be found.
v. Investigation on Human Power Export Agencies
It has been gradually observed that human-power export
agencies are playing the role of centers for supplying young Nepali women
for prostitution to foreign countries. This is not only just the suspicion
against them; there are some cases too to prove this reality. So the
human-power export agencies can be a new area for the press to do
investigative reporting.
vi. Rescue and Rehabilitation Efforts
Firstly, a coherent field study will be conducted on
rescue process in the destination and rehabilitation of the victims of
trafficking in both places receiving country and sending land. Who are the
beneficiaries or what are the positive outcomes and drawbacks of rescue and
rehabilitation will be found from this study, which at last, can suggest
either it is appropriate to continue these efforts or not. It may also
suggest better way for rescue and rehabilitation too.
vii. HIV/AIDS and Trafficking
The Nepali media generally sees the women rescued or
returned from Indian brothels and commercial sex workers working within the
country as the main agent of spreading HIV. However, different reports on
HIV/AIDS suggest that this disease is also equally affecting other groups.
Therefore, it is an important sector of investigation to highlight the
interrelationship between trafficking in women and girls and HIV/AIDS.
viii. GO, NGO and INGO Activities on the issue of
Trafficking
Government authorities, NGOs and INGOs are working in the
sectoral welfare of the victims of trafficking. In the context, it is very
important to monitor and analyze their intervention programs at community
level to policymaking level. Investigation in these areas may answer all the
questions and clear the picture about outcome of the investment in this
area.
ix. Migration and Trafficking
After the research by ASMITA, a new concept of relation
between migration and trafficking has also been introduced. Some
international documents have stated the examples of migration for the
purpose of trafficking. Though ‘migration’ and ‘trafficking’ are totally
different concepts, it is realized that studing about the possible nexus of
these two aspects in the context of Nepal is also significant.
METHODOLOGY OF INVESTIGATION
Following are the methods that will be adopted by the
researchers to identify the truth of the situation.
a. Observation: The qualified journalists will
themselves visit the susceptible areas of trafficking, as well as to the
transit points in Nepal-India border areas to observe the prevalence.
b. Interview: The key persons in communities and
different institutions will be identified first. Consequently, they will be
interviewed thoroughly. The interviewing reporters will decide on the
spot about the areas of questions to be asked within the given
framework. Such interviews with some persons will be cross-examined with
other sources and other interviews.
c. Analysis of existing materials: The reporters,
during their investigative reporting, will study the previously published or
recorded materials in papers, police and administrative records; and even
the court cases. Thus, the persons related to such identified cases would be
further cross-examined by other methods.
d. Focus group discussion: The journalists will be
instructed to conduct focus group discussions of key informants. Such focus
group discussions will be conducted for different group of people, in which
a single group will constitute homogeneous group of men, women and mixed
individuals regarding their socio-economic backgrounds.
- A caution should be maintained that no ‘one’ method of investigation
would be sufficient to arrive at general conclusions. Therefore, these
different methods will be further cross-examined to identify the culprits
and victims as well as the cause and consequences of trafficking in the
area.
- After in-depth research, ASMITA research team will produce research
articles on the identified areas. The organization will prepare minimum
three research articles per month. Those articles will be published in
national Nepali and English daily, weekly and fortnightly newspapers and
magazines.
BACKGROUND OF THE IMPLEMENTING
ORGANIZATION
Asmita Women’s Publishing House, Media and Resource Organization (in
short, ASMITA) was established in 1988 as a non-profitable, non-political
and non-governmental organization. Its main objective is to execute media
activism to fight for the full enjoyment of human rights, justice and
freedom by women. In order to fulfill its pronounced objective, ASMITA
conducts various activities, namely - action research; publication;
producing and broadcasting audio-visual program; dissemination of
information and documentation; media monitoring; conducting interaction
program, seminar, workshop and training; consultancy and networking.
Remarkably, all activities of ASMITA are focused on women, their human
rights and the media.
