Episode 20: Life as Child Domestic Workers in Kathmandu

In this episode of Conversations on Modern Slavery, host Bryon Lippincott speaks with Dr. Marta Furlan (Senior Program Manager for Research, Free the Slaves) and researcher Ranjana Sharma about the results on child domestic workers in Kathmandu, Nepal. Drawing on a participatory study by Free the Slaves and CWISH Nepal, they unpack how very young children are recruited from rural communities, why families and intermediaries facilitate the move to cities, and what daily life looks like once children arrive.You’ll hear about:• Push–pull factors shaping recruitment and rural-to-urban movement• Gaps between the promise of schooling and the reality of long workdays• Isolation from family and peers, and why teachers often don’t see what’s happening• How employers understand their role, and where their narratives diverge from children’s• Concrete recommendations for government, employers, teachers, and child-rights groupsContent note: This episode discusses child labor, domestic work, and violence.Resources:• Full research report• Executive summary• Child-friendly version of the reportFor background on the study’s methodology, listen to Episode 15. Subscribe for future conversations with researchers, survivor leaders, frontline advocates, and policy experts.