This two and a half year research project will examine the role of sexuality and citizenship in livelihood strategies, focusing on the experiences of returnee trafficked women.

Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council it is extremely timely coming at a moment of increased awareness and debate over sexual trafficking within governments, international agencies, NGOs and popular culture more generally. The proposed research aims to examine the intersections of sexuality, citizenship and pro-poor policy making for sexually trafficked women upon their return to Nepal, their home country of origin.

A key aspect of this research is to gain knowledge that is grounded in the actual experiences of the trafficked women themselves. This is important because not only has the issue of returnee women been largely ignored, but the stigmatisation and poverty of these women means they often have little voice in citizenship debates and pro-poor development policy making.

The project will involve analysis of discourses and policies of trafficking and models of citizenship; semi structured interviews with activists and key stakeholders; and in depth interviews with returnee women.