Kathmandu, Jan. 24 -- Pretty was 15 years old when she first stood out on the streets of Chitwan looking for a customer. Bullied and teased by her teachers and classmates for her identity as a transwoman, Pretty had dropped out of school in the tenth grade to become a sex worker, earning as much as Rs15,000 to Rs20,000 a day.

"I knew that I was a female trapped in the body of a man at an early age," 27-year-old Pretty told the Post. "But I was made to feel like I was abnormal. School made things worse, as I was often humiliated and referred to as chhakka."

It was only when she met others like her that she was introduced to the LGBTIQ community. But at the same time, she was also introduced to the world of prostitution.

"Many transgende...