Videocrux - Caste system traps Nepal's 'hereditary prostitutes'

#Videocrux - Caste system traps Nepal's 'hereditary prostitutes' Caste system traps Nepal's 'hereditary prostitutes'
Born into prostitution, the women of the Badi minority in Nepal have been condemned to work in the sex trade for generations. Stigma and a rigid caste system have prevented them from leaving the illegal trade, but advocates say things are slowly changing.
Poverty forces young girls into prostitution
Durpati Nepali, Binita’s mother and sex worker says “Is this the job for a 14-year-old child? This is the age to go to school. She is forced to do this because we don’t have enough to eat or wear. Earlier I fed them, now they’re feeding me.” The 35-year-old mother of five says she resorted to prostitution -- an occupation she first took up aged just 14 -- in desperation after the food stall she set up failed because customers were abusive and refused to pay.
Nepal's Badi caste - the untouchables
Badi is a Dalit community from Nepal which belongs to the Indo-Aryan ethnic group. According to Hindu caste system this community belongs to the lowest hierarchy. Badi people live mainly in the western part of Nepal. The word 'Badi' means Vadyabadak, one who plays musical instruments, in Sanskrit. Once high-class courtesans and musicians, the Badi are now among the poorest and most downtrodden groups in Nepal, where discrimination on caste grounds remains rife despite being outlawed more than four decades ago.
The impossible dreams of young caste victims
Binita Nepali, sex worker says “I think I can still go back to school after I earn more money. I want to study and get a job.” An almost impossible dream. Prejudice and discrimination against Badi women is rife in Nepal. Branded as prostitutes, it’s difficult for them to earn a living any other way.
Sapana Malla fights against the tradition
Sapana Pradhan Malla is a Nepalese lawyer and member of the Nepalese Constituent Assembly. She is president of the Forum for Women, Law & Development. In 2008, she was a joint winner of the Gruber Prize for Women’s Rights. She says “People have to recognize why women have been in that profession. Have we had been able to create any alternate for these women? If not, do we have right to segregate them?”

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