Women in Nepal Kathmandu: Women drug addicts involved in sex trade

According to experts, there are 3,000 estimated women in the Kathmandu Valley who have become drug addict. There are about 10,000 women in 50,000 drug addicts throughout Nepal. 59 per cent of these female drug addicts are found to be involved in prostitution, according to a research study. The major reasons behind women becoming drug addicts are their own addictive husbands and the separation with their husbands.

A majority of the women drug addicts are between the age group of 20-29 years; while 60.5 per cent of them first started taking drugs during the age of 12-19 years, The fact of 77 per cent of the women addicts being literate depicts that most of them start taking drugs in their school-going age.

The study has shown that the addicts are using combination of multiple drugs such as tablets and alcohol, alcohol and heroin, alcohol and cannabis. The number of female drug addicts is dramatically increasing in the urban areas like Kathmandu, Pokhara, Dharan and Birgunj. Their number could be higher in Pokhara compared to Kathmandu.

Researchers say that women are one of the fastest growing population in drug abuse. However, the drug culture among the women users is still hidden. Male users often get support and care from family, wife, children or relatives during rehabilitation and recovery. It is the women who always face trouble during rehabilitation and recovery. Women users are in double jeopardy. They are more prone to HIV/AIDS, as they use drugs and at the same time they work as active sex workers."