Women at the frontline of climate change

economic insecurity for the most vulnerable individuals in a society, namely women and children, are among push factors for human trafficking. Therefore, insecure disaster regions have to be considered as potential areas for human trafficking. Trafficking has many forms but one consistent aspect is the abuse of the inherent vulnerability of the victims and violation of their fundamental human rights. Trafficking of women and children, including boys, is the prevalent form of trafficking and affects every region of the world, either as a source, transit or destination country. Women and children from developing countries and vulnerable groups of society in developed

Nepal, where inadequate crop yields and income generating opportunities force families to sacrifice one child at the expense of and in order for others to survive (ibid.:4). However, it is also worth noting that families are often not aware that their daughters will end up with traffickers, who falsely promise that the girls will have better lives, education and life opportunities. After a climate-related disaster, economic and security challenges may lead women and children to seek better living conditions, shelter and safe housing, making them potential targets for gender-based violence, exploitation and human trafficking. The disasters that lead to increased physical and

Human Trafficking In Nepal: A view from inside a brothel with the rooms on each side on November 15, 2005 in Siliguri, Utar Pradesh, India. Entire families live inside these brothels, the owners and the children of the prostitutes. There is no sanitation or any hygienic responsibilities.

47