SRC-004 · Complete metadata
Harawa-Charawa, the Bonded Laborers in Agriculture: A Study of Three Municipalities of Dhanusha District in Eastern Terai
Community Self-Reliance Centre (CSRC) · 2020
Record details
- Study population
- Harawa-Charawa households
- Geography
- Eastern Terai; Dhanusha District; Dhanauji Rural Municipality; Ganeshman-Charnath Municipality; Shahidnagar Municipality
- Sample size
- 3,636 Harawa-Charawa households
- Method
- Survey / quantitative: Household survey; Participatory research; Stakeholder workshop; Questionnaire survey; Pre-testing; Participant observation; Interviews; Informal conversations
- Labour system
- Haruwa-Charuwa
- Themes
- Legal abolition & policy, Rehabilitation, Land & livelihoods, Forced labour & debt, Gender & social exclusion
Recorded findings
- The study identified 3,636 Harawa-Charawa households across three municipalities of Dhanusha District and found that most remain landless, indebted, and dependent on exploitative agricultural labour. It concludes that caste-based exclusion, insecure livelihoods, and limited access to land and public services continue to sustain the Harawa-Charawa system despite legal protections.
Repository note
Limited to one district, reducing national generalizability.
Citation
Dhakal, S., Karki, K., & Shrestha, S. (2020). Harawa-Charawa, the bonded laborers in agriculture: A study of three municipalities of Dhanusha District in Eastern Terai. Community Self-Reliance Centre (CSRC). ISBN 978-9937-8420-2-0.