One of the key activities of the project, an activist workshop was organized in Kathmandu on 17th of February to share preliminary findings of the research. The workshop was purposefully scheduled to coincide with the last stages of submission of the first draft of various thematic committees to the constitution writing committee for the new constitution. The workshop brought together 80 participants including leading anti-trafficking NGOs, government representatives, donors and key members of the Constituent Assembly including the head of the Fundamental Rights Committee. Thirty trafficked women survivors also attended, responding directly to the preliminary research findings in a dedicated afternoon session which reviewed NGO programmes’ strategic development following the 5 core project themes a) reviewing current citizenship provision, b) inputs to National Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking (NPA), c) reviewing NGO sponsored rehabilitation schemes, d) examining mainstream approaches to post trafficking livelihoods and e) challenges to the social reintegration of the women.

Policy implication

The workshop fed directly into the current debates on citizenship in the Constitution writing process through ongoing dialogue with relevant subject committees of Constituent Assembly and Women’s Caucus of the legislative parliament. Extensive media coverage followed this event, producing 8 interviews on Nepali TV stations (these are distributed to the diasporas internationally through the web) and 17 radio station interviews, as well as 3 print articles in the Nepali press by Dr. Poudel. The workshop also prompted invitations for keynote appearances at follow-on events targeting the Constituent Assembly process organised by various NGOs and human rights groups, and media houses including one from the Canadian Cooperation Office in Kathmandu.