KATHMANDU, March 17: Chief Whip of the ruling coalition partner Nepali Congress (NC), Shyam Kumar Ghimire, faced strong opposition in both houses of Parliament on Monday following his remark advocating for the legalization of prostitution in Nepal.
While addressing the House of Representatives (HoR) on Sunday, Ghimire argued that legalizing prostitution could attract more tourists to Nepal. He claimed that recreational tourism tends to draw higher-spending visitors compared to religious tourism.
Additionally, Chief Whip Ghimire, while putting forth his views on the Substitution Bills that are currently under discussions in the parliament, suggested that both prostitution and cannabis trade should be legalized to maximize the tourism sector’s economic potential. He claimed that Colorado in the US had legalized the cannabis to give a boost to the economy.
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However, his statement, mainly the proposal to legalize prostitution in Nepal, courted widespread criticisms. Speaking in the National Assembly the following day, lawmaker Rukmini Koirala from the ruling CPN-UML sharply criticized Ghimire’s remarks, calling them objectionable and inappropriate for the parliamentary floor.
“Who gave him the right to express such a degrading opinion against the values of Nepali society in this dignified house?” Koirala questioned, demanding a public apology from the NC Chief Whip. She added, “A lawmaker who irresponsibly floats such harmful commentary without considering its societal impact should apologize immediately.”
Ghimire’s remarks also drew criticism from lawmakers in the HoR during the zero hours on Monday. Lawmakers Durga Rai and Deepak Singh accused Ghimire of attempting to undermine Nepal’s social fabric.
MP Rai demanded that Ghimire’s statement be removed from the official record, questioning, “Would you allow your own family to lead the sex trade?”
Similarly, Singh condemned Ghimire’s view, labeling it a deliberate attempt to erode Nepal’s traditional values. “Nepal is a land where women are revered as goddesses, not forced into prostitution,” Singh said.
He further cautioned against such statements, noting, “Thousands of our youth have left the country for employment and education. Now, only a limited number of young mothers and children remain. Is the government's vision for economic growth to legalize prostitution and brothels? Was a republican Nepal established for this purpose?”
Under Nepal’s Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act, 2007, both soliciting and participating in prostitution are classified as acts of human trafficking. Clause 15 (1b) of the Act mandates up to 10 years imprisonment and fines up to Rs 100,000 for forcing others into prostitution, while Clause 15 (1c) imposes up to 10 years in prison and fines up to Rs 500,000 for engaging in prostitution.
Despite its criminalization, prostitution is loosely enforced and poorly monitored in Nepal. Major cities, including the capital, witness the visible presence of sex workers each evening. Critics have long argued that the legal conflation of prostitution with human trafficking, coupled with weak enforcement, has led to widespread mistreatment and abuse of sex workers in the country.
