Face to Face with Slavery Film Series Premieres This Week

In Kathmandu, thousands of children work behind closed doors as domestic workers, largely unseen and unprotected. A new report from Free the Slaves and CWISH Nepal brings their experiences into focus and examines the structural forces that sustain child domestic labor. But research alone is not enough. This work moves beyond documentation to action, engaging employers, civil society, local government, and children themselves to drive coordinated change rooted in evidence and lived experience.

Child domestic labor in Nepal is one of the most hidden and normalized forms of exploitation. Despite legal protections, children from rural and disadvantaged communities continue to be trafficked or sent to work in urban households, where they face long hours, hazardous conditions, and isolation. To shed light on these realities, Free the Slaves (FTS) and CWISH conducted a qualitative study, Life as Child Domestic Workers in Kathmandu, and shared its findings at a dissemination event with government, civil society, and child protection stakeholders. The research highlights urgent gaps in protection and calls for systemic reforms to ensure every child’s right to dignity, education, and safety.