All the Single Ladies: The Time is Ripe to Mobilise Single Women for Peacebuilding

Editor's Note: During my internship, I helped work on this oped authored by Lily Thapa, Founder of Women for Human Rights, that was just published in The Kathmandu Post--Nepal's largest English daily newspaper.

Lily Thapa consulting with single women in Kavre district 
(Women for Human Rights, Single Women Group)

The evolving political process that is currently underway in Nepal provides an ideal opportunity for the government to support the rights of the country’s growing number of single women and to recognize their essential role in the nation’s new political era and peacebuilding process.

Over the last decade, there has been an unprecedented rise in the number of single women in Nepal—especially widows—totaling just under half a million, according to the 2011 census. This growing trend is mainly due to deaths and disappearances related to the ten-year conflict, the spread of AIDS, conditions of extreme poverty, early marriage, and the persistence of harmful traditional practices in some districts.

More than ever before, single women are carrying the burden of supporting their households, while still facing significant legal, political, cultural, and economic obstacles. Nepal’s traditional patriarchal social structure has created an environment of discrimination against women, and particularly single women, which has permeated society at both the national and local level. This can be seen in the form of gender-discriminatory provisions in legislation and the lack of women and single women in high-level government positions, as well as in customary practices against widows such as blaming a woman for her husband’s death, denying her the right to inherit her husband’s property, and not allowing her to wear bangles or colorful clothing.

Many of Nepal’s single women have become widows while they were still in their early twenties and thirties, destined by society to spend the rest of their lives in poverty and vulnerable to abuse. Single women often suffer economically and rarely receive education or vocational training to help secure their financial situation. Only 11 percent of single women in Nepal are literate, compared with the national average of women in Nepal at 57 percent. The future and education of single women’s children also remains a concern. With little financial support, often the children of single women—especially their daughters—cannot afford an education and become susceptible to early marriage, abuse, or human trafficking.

A major issue that plagues single women and girls who have been affected by conflict is the need for transitional justice. During the ten-year insurgency, women bore the brunt of the violence. They were often targeted as victims of widespread sexual violence and thousands of women young and old lost husbands or fathers. Now, six years later, many of these women have still not received proper reparations nor an opportunity to seek justice.

Over the past few years, the government of Nepal has taken some initial steps to recognize the rights of single women—such as the 2011 annulment of five discriminatory laws in the 11^th Amendment of the interim Constitution—but the realization of these rights is not always implemented at the local level. Also in 2011, the government of Nepal launched a National Action Plan for the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820, which emphasize the essential role that women play in the conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes, as well as the need for protection and justice for victims of sexual violence. To uphold its commitments to the National Action Plan and to the women of Nepal, the government must prioritize funding for programs and reparations in support of single women and ensure that these rights are protected.

Moving forward, the government should take a holistic approach by providing support for various services that can address the economic, social, and political challenges that single women face. The government can help support local Civil Society Organizations, such as Women for Human Rights, Single Women Group, or WHR, on providing counseling, legal assistance, social security, livelihood skills training, and a safe space for immediate services, which can collectively enable single women to reintegrate back into society. International agencies and donors should also demonstrate their commitment to the development of single women’s rights in Nepal by keeping it as a priority funding area.

During this transitional period following the Nepal peace agreement, the government must guarantee access to justice for conflict-affected women and girls as well as a role in an inclusive national transitional justice process that incorporates their input and gender sensitivities. The recently proposed blanket amnesty for perpetrators of crimes committed during the ten-year conflict must be amended to allow prosecution for serious human rights crimes including murder, abduction, sexual violence, and disappearances. Most importantly, conflict-affected women and girls want and deserve to know the truth about the crimes that took place, and the government should provide appropriate reparations.

In addition to financial support, conflict-affected women and girls also require programming to help them address their immediate needs and overcome the trauma that they have faced. The government should focus on providing more reconciliation programs that could assist these women in transforming their sorrows into strength. Many single women who have previously received holistic services from WHR have become empowered and now serve as peacebuilders within their own communities.

Today, our country stands at a crossroads. The evolving political scene, transitional justice process, and drafting of a new constitution provide an opportunity for the government to uphold the rights of single women and ensure that their needs are addressed. Subsequently, single women can play a unique role in our nation’s peacebuilding process and act as agents of change to help lead the long-term development process in Nepal. 

Welcome to the Jungle

Last weekend, Danielle—another ELI volunteer—and I decided to take a break from the craziness of Kathmandu and head south to the jungle in Chitwan, home to the nation’s largest national park. 

Our journey to Chitwan was a bumpy six-hour drive often along narrow and winding roads in the mountains. But the further away we got from Kathmandu, the sparser the towns became and the more green and lush the scenery outside grew. We arrived in Sauraha, the small town right outside the entrance to Chitwan National Park, a very hot and sweaty mess in the mid-day humidity. We were very happy though when we discovered that our hotel room had both a fan and AC, which is very luxurious for Nepali standards.

Tharu people harvesing rice fields in Sauraha

After relaxing a bit, we joined our new tour guide, Asha, for a walk around a traditional Tharu village in Sauraha. The Tharu people, who are known as people of the forest, are indigieneous to the Terai belt region that stretches across southern Nepal and northern India. Historically, the Tharu people are known for their immunity to malaria, which for centuries kept foreigners out of their lands. They cultivate staple crops such as rice and corn, and construct their homes with walls made of mud and cow dung.

Traditional Tharu dance during cultural program

That evening, we had the unique experience of attending a Tharu cultural dance program. Two men kept the beat on bongo drums as groups of young Tharu men and women in traditional dress danced in unison. The men used sticks that they would rythematically hit against one another and then turn to hit against their neighbors. The women sang a beautiful traditional chant as they went around in a circle waving their arms. Our favorite dance of the night had to be the solo mating dance, in which one person dressed in a peacock outfit scurried along the stage while displaying a huge backside of colorful feathers.

Getting ready to head out on our jungle trek

The next morning, just as the heat was beginning to rise, we set out for our elephant trek. This is definitely one of the highlights of the typical Chitwan tourist experience, and we were not about to miss it. Although sitting in the “saddle” with three other people was not the most comfortable arrangement, it was an experience to tromp through the jungle at tree-height and maintain balance as we slowly rolled from side to side. During the trek we did not encounter much wildlife, but we did see one rhino who was taking his morning bath, a couple peacocks, and a lot of spotted deer.

Morning bath in the river

Next on our packed tourist agenda was elephant bathing, by far my favorite part of the trip! This was much better than the elephant trek because you were able to sit directly on the elephant’s back with little restraints, which made it a bit difficult to hold on at times. Once I steadied myself, the maute—or elephant trainer—shouted several times commanding the elephant to soak up water from the river and then spray me with its trunk. After this happened about ten times, the maute commanded the elephant to lay down in the river and roll over causing me to fall off. I was a bit nervous since just the day before we had seen crocodiles upstream, but the water was shallow so I could see if anything was lurking. We then took our morning “bath” together in the river.

Dugout canoe commonly used along the river

Later during the mid-day heat, we slowly floated along down the river in a dug-out wooden canoe. These canoes are a common mode of transportation on the river, and are propelled by one person with a long stick who stands on the end. We spotted several crocodiles sunbathing, which our guide assured us were the aggressive type and can grow up to 12 feet long. He said on some days they had seen thirty or more crocodiles in that same river stretch, which I was very happy was not the case for us.

Baby 45-day-old elephant with his mother

Next to the national park there is an elephant breeding center that is operated by the Nepali government. They keep female elephants who breed with wild male elephants every year and then have babies that are trained to work in the jungle. When we were there we saw a 45-day-old baby who was very friendly and came over to the edge of the pen where I was able to pet him briefly before he ran away. There were also two twin elephants who were one years old, which is a rarity for elephants.

Baby rhino and its mom at night near the jungle tower

The last part of our Chitwan Adventure was pretty amazing. We decided to forgo the luxurious AC and pack our bags to spend the night in a jungle tower. Yes, straight up jungle tower. The national park owns a very basic concrete tower and rents it out to tourists who cannot get enough of the jungle during the day. We arrived at dusk and as we sat on the deck eating our packed dinner and drinking Everest beer, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. A baby rhino and his mother were coming out of the trees and walked right across the open space in front of us.

The jungle tower--our accommodation the last night

The sounds of the jungle at night were intoxicating—the hum of the various insects, chirping of birds that occasionally flew by, barking of the deer (yes, deer), calling of the peacocks, and the rolling of nearby thunder. By the end of the night, lightning lit up the night as jagged bolts flashed across the sky above the tree tops. We fell asleep outside under a mosquito net, but moved inside once the rain came. The pounding on the tin roof was intense at times, but turned into a soothing pitter-patter—the perfect jungle lullaby.

Road Trip to the Far West

Editor’s Note: This is the second of two blogs about my recent field visit with Women for Human Rights, or WHR, to Western Nepal.

After a very moving visit to Dang, we headed west to our next destination: Kailali in the Far Western region of Nepal. Apparently taking public transportation would have taken close to twelve hours to travel, so we agreed to hire a driver to cut our trip down by half. This part of the journey was particularly exciting because we were free to stop along the way and Tracy had never been to Kailali and neither Tracy nor Sambida had been to Bardiya National Park, which lies between Dang and Kailali. So, we set off on our road trip headed far west.

Kusum post - Nepal Armed Police Forces 

The first stop along the way was for breakfast and dudh chiya, or milk tea, which is a staple in Nepal and one I have grown a little too fond of. Across the road from breakfast was the Nepal Armed Police Forces, or AFP, Kusum post that Chitra informed us had been the site of an infamous battle during the ten-year conflict when it was attacked by Maoist rebel forces. The area we were driving through had been a hot spot during the war and many of the people in the districts’ had been affected by the violence.

Bridge in Bardiya National Park where we saw crocodiles

Further down the road, we drove right through the heart of Bardiya National Park, the second largest national park in Nepal. The park is home to all types of animals including crocodiles—which we saw sunbathing—as well as tigers, elephants, antelopes, and rhinos. Our driver said that during the Maoist insurgency, the park served as a hideout for the rebels who could easily escape for days into the dense jungle.

Our driver, who was quite an interesting guy but everything he said was in Nepali so I had to rely on translation, also warned us of a young girl who haunts the area and as people drive at night through the jungle they see her but then when they turn back she disappears. He said he had seen her twice and kept red bangles on his gearstick to protect the car from the evil spirits along the way.

Karnali bridge

Despite this story, we made it safely through the national park and to the next destination: the famous Karnali Bridge. It is an impressive architectural marvel and, according to Civil Engineering Magazine, is an asymmetric, single-tower, cable-stayed bridge and the longest of its type in the world. We decided to get out of the car and walk across it to really appreciate its immensity. We shared the road with other pedestrians and a herd of cattle making its way across. The bridge’s design and construction had been a collaboration between the U.S. and Japan, and was completed in 1993. This type of infrastructure aid seems to be common in Nepal and the surrounding region, often in the form of bridges, paved roads, or highways.

On the other side of the river, we had lunch at an amazing little café that served fish straight from the river. It was definitely a highlight of the road trip and the first time I had eaten fish since I arrived in Nepal.

Sunset rickshaw ride with the women from WHR

After seven hours, we arrived in Kailali, which being on the border of India was very hot and very dusty, but at the same time very beautiful. I loved the lush greenery of the surrounding fields and parks. When we met the single women board members from the WHR district office, it felt like we were coming home to family. The women were so welcoming and insisted that we eat their homemade chapatti, curried vegetables, and milk curd, and then eat some more.

The women were excited to show us their town and took us on rickshaws, which is the primary mode of transportation in Kailali, to visit nearby Jokar Lake. The lake was beautiful and was the perfect backdrop to our first golden sunset in Kailali. As we “ricked it”  back to the hotel, it was such a peaceful ride even with all the potholes and bumps in the road.

Human Resources for Health Kailali workshop

On the last day of our visit, WHR hosted a Human Resources for Health workshop to build a Civil Society Alliance between local NGOs, the district health office, and healthcare professionals. Although the workshop was all in Nepali, I was able to understand from translation some of the points made during the very animated discussion between the practitioners and civil society representatives and the district health officer. The major concerns were about the government’s lack of implementation in its healthcare plan, particularly the high number of medical posts that remain unfilled in rural areas.

Chitra's mom preparing manna

After the workshop, Chitra graciously invited us to his parents’ house for dinner, which I was excited about because I had not yet eaten at a Nepali family’s home. Demonstrating the famous customary Nepali hospitality, when we arrived his mother welcomed us and we were given drinks and bananas from the garden outside. After a tour of the house and garden, his mother prepared an amazing Nepali spread of flatbread (manna—a regional specialty), milk curd fresh from the family’s cow (mohi), greens (saag), pickled garlic (aachar), and kauli alu tarkari (curried cauliflower and potatoes). Yum.

And as a perfect ending to the trip, after dinner we climbed up to the rooftop of Chitra’s home to watch the magnificent red Nepali sun slowly disappear behind the wheat fields.

Dang: A World Away in Western Nepal

Editor’s Note: This is the first of two blogs about my recent field visit with WHR to Western Nepal.

Regional Map of WHR Single Women Groups

As I entered my second week as an intern at Women for Human Rights, or WHR, I was surprised with a unique opportunity that I could not say no to: tagging along for a field visit to the Dang and Kailali district offices in the Midwestern and Far Western regions. Finally, a chance to see the real Nepal.

So after agreeing to meet the next morning at the Kathmandu airport I was not sure what to expect but knew that I was in for an amazing trip. At the airport, I met Tracy, WHR Program Manager, and Chitra Raj Joshi, WHR Finance Officer, and when we arrived in Dang we met our third traveling partner, Sambida Regmi, WHR Program Officer. Prior to the trip I had said maybe collectively twenty words to them, but that changed quickly as I was eager to learn about Nepali culture and they were more than willing to share.

If you really want to get an inside cultural perspective, I would suggest traveling with country natives for a week and you will learn more than you realized there was to know. After learning about the traditional Hindu practice of cleansing your body on Tuesdays and offering eleven blades of grass and ladoo to the Lord Ganesh, finally understanding why Nepalis always leave communal shower shoes in front of the bathroom, and watching Hindi music videos and trying to emulate the dances, it occurred to me more than once that this is the way to travel.

Street scene in Dang, Midwestern region, Nepal

 During our first day in Dang, a district in the Midwestern region of Nepal, we met with board members of Dang’s WHR Single Women Group, who are widows now leading the charge in the push for women’s rights and equality in their district. We sat in a circle on thin mats in the office’s small meeting room, which was only lit by the light shining through the windows since the electricity was off (Nepal is on a load shedding system and has frequent blackouts of electricity). It was inspiring to hear the heartwrenching stories of these women and then to see them empowered and acting as agents of change for themselves and their community.

WHR Single Women Group board meeting in Dang

Laxmi Bishta, a Conflict-Affected Widow who serves as a board member, shared her story with us. She said that her husband had served as a policeman in Dang during the ten-year civil war. At the time, the Maoists—the politically motivated rebel group—began to target government officials and police, and local Maoists began to threaten Laxmi‘s husband and family. Eventually her husband was so concerned for his family’s safety that he left the police force. About one year later, despite having left the police, several men asked her husband for money and when he refused they shot him three times in broad daylight. His wife had been called to the hospital, but her husband had already died before she arrived.

Laxmi filed a complaint with the police after the incident, but nothing happened. This was seven years ago. Impunity has become the norm in Nepal for crimes that were committed during the insurgency because they were so widespread and often the perpetrators of the crimes are now in positions of power and authority. Many victims fear going to the authorities at all for this reason.

Dang board members (Laxmi second from left)

To this day, Laxmi still does not know who killed her husband. It is difficult to think about her husband’s death because she has three children and works as a tailor to fund their education. She said she wants to move on but cannot because she wants to know the identity of the men who killed her husband and why he was killed. She said if she had the chance to file the case in the Transitional Reconciliation Commission she would, but what she really wants the most for now is peace of mind.

Laxmi‘s story is one of the thousands of women who were affected by the ten-year conflict. That is why the work of WHR and its Transitional Justice Network is so crucial. By visiting the WHR district office in Dang I was able to feel the power of grassroots advocacy at such a raw level and get a glimpse into the everyday struggles that single women in Nepal are facing.

Dang's Youth Information Center 

The next day we attended a paralegal training held in Dang’s VDC training hall, about a fifteen-minute ride outside of town. The building and adjacent Youth Information Center—which was one room that provided Nepali pamphlets and information about reproductive health—were located on a dirt road surrounded by wheat fields and green hills. The participants for the training ranged from adolescent girls dressed in jeans and sweaters to older single women dressed in traditional saris.

Dang VDC Training Hall where paralegal training took place

Although my understanding of the training was definitely inhibited by a significant language barrier, I was able to get the gist of things by Tracy translating every few minutes. The women and girls were learning about international human rights instruments such as U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325 that secures their legal rights and role in the peacebuilding process. The women’s inheritance and citizenship rights were reviewed as well as their right to file for cases of domestic abuse.

WHR paralegal training in Dang

After reading about how Resolution 1325 is used as a tool of empowerment for women around the world, it was sort of an out-of-this-world experience to see it actually put to use in the context of Dang, Nepal. Amid the dusty roads and expansive fields, I could only admire the resilience of these women whose husbands had died and who are now challenging the status quo of a traditionally patriarchal society. They are determined to change their own destiny and to begin building a foundation for their daughters and the next generation of women in Nepal.