Street Children of Nepal
There are more than 5000 children living and working on the streets
of Nepal. These children are among the most vulnerable in society,
frequently falling victim to some of the worst forms of child labor and
exploitation. Street children are misunderstood, negatively viewed and
stigmatized by a large portion of society. This social misunderstanding
only serves to compound the challenges these children face on a day to
day basis.
Background Information
Street children exist in all of Nepal’s major cities and towns. As the population grows, and urban poverty spreads, the number of children living and working on the streets is increasing. Because of the extreme nature of their situations and lack of adult support, many street children are misused and exploited. Ultimately, most of these children remain trapped in the vicious cycle of street life, and often with very limited support.
Due to the current political situation and recent
armed conflict, the number of street children has increased. Though
there is no current, reliable estimate into the number of children
living on the streets, it is clear that numbers are considerably more
than they were before the conflict situation escalated – much of this is
a result of the large number of displaced people from village areas
across Nepal.
There are obviously many hardships that street
children face, but one of the greatest challenges is the general
misunderstanding by society. Street children are negatively viewed and
stigmatized by many people, and often labeled with the derogatory term
“Khate.” Ultimately, this social misunderstanding makes it extremely
difficult for street children to leave the street and become respected
members of the community they live in.
The Socioeconomic Situation of Street Children
The socioeconomic situation faced by street children
is complicated, and it would be inaccurate to suggest all street
children have come from similar backgrounds or are in a similar
situations.
Of all children on the street, an overwhelming 96% are
boys. Girls are far less likely to leave their families than boys,
however once girls do leave their homes due to their vulnerability they
tend not to live on the street. Instead, the majority of out-of-home
girls tend to find themselves as domestic child workers or carpet
factory workers. The reality is that girls who leave their home often
become exploited in the sex industry from a young age. Sadly, a huge
number of these girls are trafficked outside of Nepal for sex work in
India.
