Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) affects an estimated 1.8 million children globally. In Nepal, the adult entertainment sector (AES) is recognized as a high-risk environment for children where sexual exploitation is known to occur. The sector includes venues such as restaurants, folk dance bars, erotic dance bars, massage parlors, guest houses and hotels. Not all these venues are exploitative or engage children in sexual services. However, working in these venues can lead many girls and young women to a gradual or forced familiarization with, and immersion in, the sex industry. In 2016, the Freedom Fund partnered with the University of Hong Kong, Griffith University and Terre des hommes Foundation in Nepal (Tdh) to conduct research on services that support girls and young women in Kathmandu to exit situations of commercial sexual exploitation in the AES. The specific aim of the study was to identify what services and systems are needed for girls to speedily, safely and permanently leave the AES.

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The Freedom Fund identifies and invests in the most effective frontline efforts to eradicate modern slavery in the countries and sectors where it is most prevalent. Partnering with visionary investors, governments, anti-slavery organizations and those at risk of exploitation, they tackle the systems that allow slavery to persist and thrive.