“Midnight Girls”


“It was a cold and rainy evening and I naturally found myself craving coffee in a coffee-lounge of Nepal. I was shaping my mind for documenting on ‘Night Girls in Nepal’. While I was completely engaged in thought, laughter broke my attention. By the first bit of drum night girls were in hurry to enter into clubs just near my coffee-lounge. Music, light and entertainer all are ready – and the night has begun. Inside these 1000 bars, girls from poverty-stricken corners of Nepal dance away, hoping to fulfill their simple dreams some day. Is it possible to depict the agony of a night girl being sold and/or compromised in club/bar/hotels? Can my photography breathe their voices? Is it possible to take picture of what I want to describe? Answer is NO. But by keeping alive the roots of awakening is a key duty of a photographer like me. So I am here to tell you the story through my third eye.” – GMB AKASH

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Strippers and dancers of the popular night scene in Nepal. Located mostly in the tourist area Thamel, hundreds of clubs host both local and tourists to strip shows, dances, and drinks. Each club has on average 30 to 40 girls working for them. There are the dancers, the waitresses, and some call the “date for a night” women. The dancers are young—many of them told me they are 19-22, but to me most of them looked like 16 or younger. At the change of each song (which were mostly Nepali and Hindi pop), usually a new dancer would come out on stage. Some of them danced in a tight t-shirt and short shorts, some in a tiny wrap around her waist and a bikini top, others in long glittery skirts and heels. Their faces were covered with heavy makeup, and they all kept adjusting their hair during their dances. There are also 2 showers on each side of the stage with a little porcelain bath dug out. Apparently “dance with shower” is a big thing in Kathmandu now.

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When not dancing, the women came out into the crowd fully dressed to flirt with customers. One girl, named Pari (Most of them has a fake name) said: she is 16, illiterate, has no phone, and makes 7500 Rs per month (about $100) working at the restaurant. She was not drinking alcohol, but seemed a little spacey, so maybe was on some type of drug. She was one of the few dancers, who were not afraid to remove all of her clothes, and she would often touch herself while on stage or dancing on tables and she is an example of many other girls who are willingly working in the restaurant.

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Reetu one of the dancers of Thamel dance club said “More than half the money is spent on room rent, makeup, grocery and other necessary items. The rest goes into my education and to my parents. I hardly save anything.”

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Fifteen-year-old Rani wants to be a doctor. But to fulfill her dream, she performs at a dance bar every evening – even if it means gyrating around a pole, stripping and giving company to strangers at night. Though dance bars are not illegal in Nepal, stripping is. But in a nation where 30 percent of the 30 million population is below the poverty line, few seem to care. Employment agents went to villages, offering poor Nepali girls like Shanti jobs in Kathmandu as waitresses. Though families are warned of the possibilities of prostitution they often choose to turn a blind eye.

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“One month’s money for a waitress can be a whole year’s income for a rural farmer”, states Mahima, waitress of a local club, whose father is a farmer. 80% cases are enforced Women for Prostitution in various circumstances.  Many of these poor Nepali girls eventually accept their fate and fall into prostitution. These poor Nepali girls will earn £ 80 per month as a dancer, tips can double this and sex for a night brings rewards of between £30 and £100 per night depending on the desirability of these Nepali girls. Regulating dance and cabin restaurants is a problem. No system is in place to properly monitor the activities that go on inside. It is the poor Nepali girl who working as waitresses are alienated and trapped, unable to re-enter mainstream Nepali culture.

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© GMB Akash

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“I felt an overabundance of emotions ranging from guilt to despair for not doing enough whenever I faced myself into these situation for documenting lives of these girls – who cannot do more struggle against oppression, cannot protest for inequality and injustice, of lost with their dreams. I do believe, may be one day The Sun will rise to wipe off tears of these Midnight Girls”

– GMB Akash

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Author: GMB Akash

"I see the beauty of people and the human soul in the pictures I take. And though the circumstances of some of the people I portray may be grim, back-breaking, depraved, the people themselves are always remarkable characters and souls" For me Photography is my language, to access, to communicate, to identify and mostly to make it hear. Through photography I only jot down my heart’s language. The best part about being a photographer is that I’m able to articulate the experiences of the voiceless and to bring their identities to the forefront which gives meaning and purpose to my own life.

64 thoughts on ““Midnight Girls””

  5. What a poignant, beautiful, heartbreaking post… Thanks so much for portraying and telling their stories, as difficult as it may be for you as a sensitive soul. Like so many other tragic circumstances, it’s the tourist industry feeding this. Much love to them all.

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    1. Tragedy is, there is no path open to these girl to walk with their bleeding feet. It would be little light if they can earn enough to feed themselves. But the reality is difference after loosing everything they are just the entertainer and looser from all part.

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  8. I understand the “despair for not doing enough”, but you are documenting, and as always very moving. It is by showing change can be made. But of course, poverty and oppression is a hard struggle, and most hard for these girls. Tourist industry should not feed this, buying girls. It is slavery. I hope for a better future for the Midnight Girls, that they can have education and a choice.

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    1. Our unity can be a weapon but what will be the solution for lives of these girls? This is one kind of slavery to entertain people who have lost their dignity as human being. The total system need to be shattered to refine the solution of this.

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  9. I understand “despair for not doing enough” but showing and documenting this kind of story, you are already doing something to help them and I do hope to all concern do something to help Midnight girls to have a descent job… I am also feeling heavy of hitting like button but I did it for the documentary, as a woman I feel sad and with a heavy heart for all the woman who are in this kind of situation and did it because they think they don’t have a choice, I do hope government do something to stop slavery, …

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    1. By living in a shared globe this is our duty, triumphing over difficulties together. But encountering such slavery we mostly blind ourselves and escape. We are the world, and continually denying this how long we let mute pains of these sufferers. Your thought is also a voice against this oppression, my friend. Thanks for raising your voice, thanks for hitting the stream.

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  10. This is really great work! You always find a certain beauty and aesthetic even in the direst situation. I love that picture of the girl leaning over her mobile phone. Who would she be talking to? A friend? Family? A pimp?

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    1. with solely bleeding feet they have no one to go for or there is no path open to welcome them. At the end of the night, they are only entertainer. wish I can remove these dirt with my hands. I wish & wish.

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    1. After two years of straggle I manage to get permission to enter into these clubs only for few minutes to take photographs. Yet, I tried my best to work in low light.
      Thanks for your appreciation dear.

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  15. Oh Akash…once again you show us a world we all know is out there, but choose not to think about because ‘What can I do?’. But you my friend just get in there and ‘do’ something. You force us to see what we would rather not think about. What if it were my daughter? You have captured these young women brilliantly. The false smiles, the over-the-top makeup, the blank, hopeless stares and the disassociation of the dancers from their audience. It’s just a job; a way for these poor young women to make ends barely meet. My heart goes out to them.
    Thank you.

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    1. My friend Jilly,

      Thanks for your voice which encouraged me . I believe, together we can collectively ignite a spark of love for where possible for even make a small impact. You have written very well, with deep sympathy. Blessed always, dear!

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  17. Such beautiful young women. These young women perceive they are embracing the power of their sexuality / empowering themselves. The sexual abuse survivor enters prostitution with the belief that they are now in control. Is this truly possible within this society. Women everywhere are dancing this dance.

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  21. PLEASE STOP DON’T TURN THAMEL INTO RED LIGHT AREA. ONE DAY THIS SITUATION WILL TURN EVERY AREA INTO A RED LIGHT AREA… STOP PLEASE

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  26. it’s not imppossible perfectly hold ur life just prsentention when u running the teen age just romance without any aim and future

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  28. Hello I’m a merchandiser business man. I’m here for 2 or 3 days so I need a girl who well manners and well educated

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  31. I like the way you explain the whole story and tell the world that what the dancers are. May be that done day these girls get some honourable job by the govt or by any NGO.
    God bless them and all.

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  34. Hello beautiful girls, it’s me Bishal, 28 years old. I am coming to Nepal end of this March and looking for a nice and sexy girl to give me a company during my stay in Katmandu, I am happy to pay and help you financially for your company. If anyone interested please email me on my mail ID (such_life2000@yahoo.com) thank you.

    Hope to see you there.

    Regards

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  38. I have need nd urgent reqwired …. to looking for female westn dancer girls nd female lipising singer in mumbai so cont..me .
    Raj
    My whatsaap n. +918433696476
    Call me ………… +919166513560

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  40. It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d definitely donate to this fantastic blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and will share this website with my Facebook group. Chat soon!|

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  41. Never ever go to dance restaurent. They are all cheater. If you go there couples of youge girls come closer to you and order drinks and meal for them and you end by paying 10 times higher price for drinks and you get nothing instead.

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  43. Your pictures give voice to the voiceless.. And congrats for having a great mind to portray the lives of these girls.. We all treat prostitutes as someone who should be barred away from the mainstream of public morality. But let me ask you one thing- are these women the culprits?? What should we call the men who goes after her??!! If prostitution happens, we are responsible for it. We, the society are the culprits who did never give them the oppurtunity to live as we do! What is development? It is the equal distribution of resources among people. But what’s happening here? Only one group becomes richer and richer and the other remains poorer and poorer! So hats off to you sir, for having a great heart to do something for them…

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