‘Bichara’, ‘Katthai’: countering the discourse: understanding risk and resilience in response to child trafficking in the entertainment sector of Nepal

• Children working in Nepal’s entertainment sector have become associated with the human trafficking discourse. • Children generally viewed as innocent, immature and passive actors, who are subjected to forced labour and sexual exploitation and who therefore require rescuing • A consensus is yet to be reached as to whether children involved in entertainment work could be considered economic migrants who are exercising their agency and decision-making capacity, given the scarcity of employment opportunities available in the country. • Interventions at the organisational level have been inadequate in terms of protecting the rights of the child victims and those at risk. • Analysis of risk and resilience should be central to the child trafficking discourse. • The need to develop a holistic collaborative approach that can be used to tailor interventions and address the structural economic underpinnings of migration and exploitation/abuse. Children working in Nepal’s entertainment sector have become associated with the human trafficking discourse. They are generally viewed as innocent, immature and passive actors, who are subjected to forced labour and sexual exploitation and who therefore require rescuing. Limited research has critically assessed current responses to these children engaged in the entertainment sector in Nepal. Based on document analysis and 60 semi-structured interviews conducted in Nepal with various stakeholders including government representatives, NGOs, INGOs, law enforcement officials, and social workers, this article offers a critique of the anti-trafficking strategy used to target children working in the entertainment sector. The findings are based on the experiences and perceptions of various stakeholders working in the anti-trafficking sector in Nepal. The findings show that a consensus is yet to be reached as to whether children involved in entertainment work could be considered economic migrants who are exercising their agency and decision-making capacity, given the scarcity of employment opportunities available in the country. The findings suggest that interventions at the organisational level have been inadequate in terms of protecting the rights of the child victims and those at risk. Three overarching themes are identified in relation to understanding risk and resilience among children working in the entertainment sector: (1) Risk factors: poverty, abuse and aspirations for a better life; (2) The failure of protective factors; and (3) Resilience in adverse circumstances: the ways in which children manage, negotiate and cope with, and obtain support that fosters resilience. The paper argues that analysis of risk and resilience should be central to the child trafficking discourse. It also emphasises the need to develop a holistic collaborative approach that can be used to tailor interventions and address the structural economic underpinnings of migration and exploitation/abuse.