Preface
We live in a patriarchal society. Women are dominated in their homes, families, and society. Their importance is not yet understood. It’s not just men – women also fail to understand each other’s problems. Women make up more than half of the total population of Nepal, therefore, it is essential to give them equal opportunities and to ensure that men and women move as partners in the development of the nation. Unfortunately, just the opposite is happening in reality. One of these partners is not only neglected; they are deprived of basic human rights. Women are victims of human trafficking and domestic abuses. These women should be lifted from such doom; they need to be made aware and to have adequate knowledge and skills to become independent and empowered. Only then will Nepal will move towards the path of progress. The programs conducted by Navajyoti and Mahila ko Haat are examples of such efforts. We have presented our endeavors in this report.
We live in a patriarchal society. Women are dominated in their homes, families, and society. Their importance is not yet understood. It’s not just men – women also fail to understand each other’s problems. Women make up more than half of the total population of Nepal, therefore, it is essential to give them equal opportunities and to ensure that men and women move as partners in the development of the nation. Unfortunately, just the opposite is happening in reality. One of these partners is not only neglected; they are deprived of basic human rights. Women are victims of human trafficking and domestic abuses. These women should be lifted from such doom; they need to be made aware and to have adequate knowledge and skills to become independent and empowered. Only then will Nepal will move towards the path of progress. The programs conducted by Navajyoti and Mahila ko Haat are examples of such efforts. We have presented our endeavors in this report.
I am very thankful to Ms. Bhagawati Nepal and all the other members of Mahila ko Haat for spreading awareness about our training programs to our target group. My heartfelt thanks to Ms. Aruna Chaudhary for her efforts in going to the field, recording the progress of our trainees and for preparing this report.
It is the responsibility of every individual, woman, family and of society to make efforts to improve the conditions of women living in remote areas. Wake up! Let us be united to help the helpless, poor and illiterate people and transform our society and nation.
Sister Teresa Madassery
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth[i]
Navajyoti Women’s Training Center
Baluwatar, Kathmandu
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth[i]
Navajyoti Women’s Training Center
Baluwatar, Kathmandu
Foreword
This book is one of the products of ‘People’s Documentation Project for Peace in Nepal’ launched by a group of people living in Nepal to document people’s life of present days from different perspectives, by gender, by age, by class, by ethnicity/caste, by religion and by region in order to present diversity and to avoid domination by particular groups’ perception. In Nepal, there are very few stories and messages documented by ordinary people, which makes it difficult to learn lessons from the history through people’s perspectives. The project aims to empower the people involved in documentation process through dialogue and to utilize the collected material for future generation to get lessons. Participants chose their own topic, using any media of their preference, such as writing essay, diary, poem, drawing, and photography.
This book is one of the products of ‘People’s Documentation Project for Peace in Nepal’ launched by a group of people living in Nepal to document people’s life of present days from different perspectives, by gender, by age, by class, by ethnicity/caste, by religion and by region in order to present diversity and to avoid domination by particular groups’ perception. In Nepal, there are very few stories and messages documented by ordinary people, which makes it difficult to learn lessons from the history through people’s perspectives. The project aims to empower the people involved in documentation process through dialogue and to utilize the collected material for future generation to get lessons. Participants chose their own topic, using any media of their preference, such as writing essay, diary, poem, drawing, and photography.
Ms. Aruna Chaudhary, one of co-authors of this book, is an ex-trainee of Navajyoti Training Center. Her success story during/after the training encouraged well-wishers to support more women to attend the training, which resulted in the formation of Mahila ko Haat.
As a volunteer organization without any employees, Mahila ko Haat could not monitor the performance of ex-trainees, although it extended support to many women from rural Nepal. In June 2006, Ms. Bhagwati Nepal, Chairperson of Mahila ko Haat, decided to conduct review of their support with active participation from Aruna. She visited some ex-trainees in remote villages and documented changes of their lives through intensive interviews. It was a surprise visit for the ex-trainees who were far away from Kathmandu. Her visit reunified ex-trainees and encouraged them to share their sorrow and happiness with others.
At the beginning, Aruna faced difficulties to write personal histories of ex-trainees, although she had a great insight on observing struggles of women. Bhagwati supported Aruna’s writing process in addition to her own contribution as the head of organization. In the end, Aruna became confident to present her own story together with her writings on her fellow ex-trainees.
This book was produced to share achievements of the ex-trainees as well as Mahila ko Haat. It starts with the introduction of Mahila ko Haat and the training by Navajyoti Training Center. Its major part is the case studies of ex-trainees followed by lessons learnt from past experience. I expect that readers understand how the trainees were transformed through the training and how they are struggling in their own places afterwards.
This book was produced to share achievements of the ex-trainees as well as Mahila ko Haat. It starts with the introduction of Mahila ko Haat and the training by Navajyoti Training Center. Its major part is the case studies of ex-trainees followed by lessons learnt from past experience. I expect that readers understand how the trainees were transformed through the training and how they are struggling in their own places afterwards.
This is a joint effort by authors of Mahila ko Haat and ex-trainees supported by Mahila ko Haat. Mr. Krishna Sarbahari worked very efficiently as an editor. Sponsorship by Niwano Peace Foundation, Japan has helped us to publish this book. Last but not least, continuous efforts by members of Mahila ko Haat should be highly acknowledged.
Masako Tanaka
Coordinator
People’s Documentation Project for Peace in Nepal
November 2006
Coordinator
People’s Documentation Project for Peace in Nepal
November 2006
Acknowledgement
Mahila ko Haat is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that for the last eight years has been providing services to women from remote areas by enrolling them in a six-month training course at the Navajyoti Training Center in Baluwatar, Kathmandu.
Mahila ko Haat is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that for the last eight years has been providing services to women from remote areas by enrolling them in a six-month training course at the Navajyoti Training Center in Baluwatar, Kathmandu.
The outcome of investments comes from evaluation. Furthermore, investments made in the human resource development sector take long to bear fruit. Mahila ko Haat invests in developing the skills of destitute Nepalese women who are victims of war, have been abused or live in poor financial circumstances. These investments take even longer to bear fruit and the outcomes are difficult to measure. However, one can always observe the positive impacts of the skills and knowledge that these women have acquired. Having invested in their human resource development, the organization also has an important responsibility to monitor the activities of trainees who have participated in such programs.
My heartfelt thanks to Ms. Masako Tanaka, founding member of Mahila ko Haat, for reminding us of this duty and for providing us with funds for undertaking this follow-up report. I also thank Ms. Aruna Chaudhary for doing the field study, conducting interviews, and analyzing the situations of the women enlisted for this study. Though Aruna conducted the field study and prepared the reports, her own success story has been included in this book because she is the first product of Mahila ko Haat’s collaboration with the Navajyoti Training Center.
The objective of this study is to inform women who are living in difficult situations that other women who faced similar plights were able to solve their problems. Therefore, we have prepared this report using participatory observations and interviews rather than scientific or statistical methods. I sincerely thank Sister Teresa from Navajyoti Training Center for supporting our efforts and giving us her opinion on this project. I hope cooperation between the Center and Mahila ko Haat will continue in the future.
I would also like to thank the participants and other related institutions for cooperating with us during our field study. Last but not least, I thank Mr Krishna Sarbahari for editing, and Mr. Narvir Dewan and Mr. Prem Prakash Chaudhari for typing the report. I hope it will be of use to all readers.
Bhagawati Nepal
Chairperson
Mahila ko Haat
The objective of this study is to inform women who are living in difficult situations that other women who faced similar plights were able to solve their problems. Therefore, we have prepared this report using participatory observations and interviews rather than scientific or statistical methods. I sincerely thank Sister Teresa from Navajyoti Training Center for supporting our efforts and giving us her opinion on this project. I hope cooperation between the Center and Mahila ko Haat will continue in the future.
I would also like to thank the participants and other related institutions for cooperating with us during our field study. Last but not least, I thank Mr Krishna Sarbahari for editing, and Mr. Narvir Dewan and Mr. Prem Prakash Chaudhari for typing the report. I hope it will be of use to all readers.
Bhagawati Nepal
Chairperson
Mahila ko Haat