Kathmandu — Although sex work is considered illegal in Nepal, it has been found that the government has collected data on women engaged in this work. In a discussion program organized on Sunday by the Forum for Women, Law, and Development (FWLD) on the rights of individuals involved in sex work, it was revealed that the Ministry of Health has collected data indicating there are around 87,000 sex workers in the country.
The Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health under the Ministry of Health released statistics in 2024 stating that there are 86,809 female sex workers in Nepal. During the presentation of this data in the discussion program, media personnel raised questions about why the government is collecting such data despite sex work not being legally recognized.
The discussion also highlighted that Nepali law treats sex work and human trafficking as the same issue, even though they are fundamentally different. The conclusion of the discussion emphasized that sex work should be viewed through the lens of human rights.
Didiksha Singh gave a presentation on the current laws related to sex work, the bill drafted to amend these laws, and the legal needs of sex workers. She explained that the existing laws criminalize sex work. The presentation suggested that violence against sex workers should be reduced, alternatives should be provided for those who wish to be rehabilitated, and that Nepal should adopt a legal framework similar to the Nordic model.
At the program, it was stated that the amended bill proposed by the Ministry of Law would still not decriminalize sex work. The government is preparing to amend Sections 119 and 120 of the main legal code. Sanjay Timalsina, a representative lawyer from SASW Nepal, warned that if these sections are amended, the number of sex workers and HIV patients will sharply increase. He said, “Sex workers neither want red-light areas nor the Nordic model; they only want their work to be recognized as a human rights issue.”
He argues that even though sex workers do not have legal recognition, decriminalization is necessary. The program highlighted that police often harass sex workers by using laws against indecent behavior. Since the amended bill would cause more hardship to sex workers rather than address their issues, the program emphasized the need to lobby for making the bill more accommodating.
The program was conducted by FWLD’s lawyer, Naveen Kumar Shrestha. He provided detailed information about the current legal framework and the situation of sex workers.
