The sex trade is a lucrative business in many foreign countries, exploiting
women in the hopes of gaining a quick buck.
Imagine if one of those prostitutes was a six-year-old girl. Imagine if that
was happening here.
Such is the reality in Nepal, an impoverished country in Southern Asia,
sandwiched between two of the most populated countries in the world, China and
India.
Little girls and young woman are selling themselves at an astounding rate, a
press release states, with an estimated 5,000 to 12,000 girls turning tricks or
trafficking themselves in Nepal alone.
A Peterborough woman hopes to shed some light about this disturbing and growing
trend by raising awareness here in Canada and by travelling to Nepal in
November.
Her name is Ashley Macdonell. She is a 27-year-old Sir Sandford Fleming
graduate with a diploma in social work who is hoping to travel to Nepal to help
educate these women and children about other alternatives they can turn to in
their lives.
"It's the only thing they know of," Ms Macdonell says.
"It (the age of sex trade workers) can be anywhere from six, which disgusted
me. It was heartbreaking."
Ms Macdonell says she wants to empower these women and children. Her mission
statement for her up and coming trip is to, "primarily focus on the empowerment
of young women; arming them with practical information and educational
opportunities, and to help others evade becoming victims."
While her trip is months away, she says she is hoping to raise enough money to
pay for her expenses while overseas.
Through the help of the Emancipation Network, which is a group dedicated to
raising awareness about these situations, Ms Macdonell held an awareness night
where she provided pamphlets as well as handmade necklaces from survivors of
the sex trade in Nepal to sell to participants.
The event was just the beginning of her goal of attaining $10,000 by October
for her trip.
"I just want to be able to help. Even if it's just talking to somebody, being a
sounding board for somebody," she adds.
"Even if I could stop where they traffic themselves. A lot of them that are my
age have been in the business since they were little. Because I have the
education and training behind it, it infuriates me even more."
Ms Macdonell is appealing to local businesses and residents in the community to
donate pennies or loose change towards her trip as well as help bring the issue
to the forefront so people can see firsthand what is happening abroad.
"A lot of people just choose to tune it out (on TV). I just encourage people to
open their minds more. A lot of people that I know their negative thinking is,
'Why can't they get out of that? Why can't they work more?'"
She hopes of dispelling these negative attitudes by helping those in need in
Nepal, and by shedding some light into a very serious issue that plagues women
in many countries.
Financial contributions can be made at the tins provided at selected restaurants
or in Ms Macdonell's trip account at the Bank of Montreal. The account number
is 3109-112, transit 24272 and branch 001.
