Reintegration of Trafficking Survivors in Nepal
Creators: name: Dhungel, Rita
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Social Work
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Nepal
subject: oppression
subject: Participatory Action Research
subject: reintegration
subject: trafficking survivors
subject: transformation

description: The United Nations has recognized trafficking of girls and women for sexual exploitation as a most serious global social issue that requires attention from national and international communities. While the most focus has been on prevention of trafficking, protection, and reintegration of survivors has never become a priority for the Government of Nepal and the community as a whole, making their lives vulnerable to socio-economic marginalization. Previous studies emphasize that the challenges for reintegration can be influenced by the various forms of structural inequality, such as poverty, discriminatory gender practice and stigma. Within the last decade, there has been an increase in the number of programs with a focus on reintegration, mostly initiated by nongovernmental and not-for profit agencies in partnership with the Government of Nepal, however research in this area is limited. In particular, there is a need was identified for a study to construct knowledge on the term ‘successful’ reintegration for trafficking survivors and their own roles for ending the violence against them. This dissertation used a participatory action research as an emancipatory methodology grounded in a collective and solidarity approach with an intersectionality analysis to engage eight trafficking survivors as co-researchers/peer researchers, in Kathmandu, Nepal. Through a process of action-reflection-action, the peer researchers collectively chose and used a number of liberatory methods including peer interviews, photovoice and solidarity group meetings for both knowledge generation and some collective actions, including a press conference, educational campaigns (workshops/interactive discussions and street dramas) and writing a letter of recommendations for the policy makers. The study provided the co-researchers with opportunities to advance their leadership role and address reintegration issues that the group identified by the group. The peer researchers were significantly involved in analyzing data and an Onion method was used to critically analyze what successful reintegration means. The study found the key challenges faced by survivors in their reintegration and they include: gender oppression, systemic enablers of oppression, social and religious exclusion and microaggressive behaviors. The study further identified the cumulative negative impacts of these reintegration issues on survivors including biological and physical trauma, emotional and psychological trauma, behavioral trauma, cognitive trauma and social trauma. Based upon what was learned in this study, an emerging theoretical reintegration practice model was developed that reflects a multi-layered and multi-faceted approach to promote reintegration of survivors. The emergence of a survivors-led action group, Community-based Action Research Group, was an important action outcome of the research. This study contributes to the exploration of new and potentially liberatory ways to address reintegration issues and promote transformative impacts.