The Importance of Being Heard

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.

Behind the closed doors of urban homes in Nepal, thousands of children—mostly from rural villages—work long hours in exchange for shelter, food, or a small wage. Often invisible to the public and absent from national statistics, these children face isolation from friends and family, interruptions in their schooling, and in some cases, hazardous labor.

Our new research with CWISH uncovers the pathways that lead children into domestic work, the daily realities they face, and the factors—poverty, lack of rural education, family pressures—that make them vulnerable. More importantly, it highlights the voices of the children themselves and offers actionable recommendations for government, educators, employers, and communities to create safer, fairer futures.