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Nepalese Women in Decision Making Role Kathmandu, September 14, 2008- Revolutionary steps are needed to encourage women’s participation at the decision making levels of state and private sectors, said Madhav Kumar Nepal, former General Secretary of CPN (UML) on Saturday. Speaking at a program organized by South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) on ‘Women’s Leadership at every decision-making level of the State and Private sectors’, Nepal said, “It is a must to take a radical step in the empowerment of women from their participation to the decision making level in every sector, as adopting a gradual process will take a longer time.” “Encouraging women to participate at different levels of the state and private sectors is a major challenge for our country,” he said. He said that as the society has marginalized them there is the need of ‘positive discrimination’ for their increase in quantitative as well as qualitative participation in decision making. Student leader Ram Kumari Jhakri, Vice President of All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU), said that though the new Constituent Assembly has representation of 33 percent female candidates, the role of women in the decision making process inside the parties is still minimal. “Political parties should ensure that at least 33 percent of women play a role in the decision making,” she said. Jhakri said if women fail to raise this issue strongly during this period, they will still be fighting for nominal participation in coming decades as well. Another speaker, Govinda Acharya, vice president of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) stressed the need for increasing the number of female representatives in decision making roles of the state. Women journalism participants condemned the government, political parties, leaders and different private sectors for keeping women’s roles in decision making as a myth of their speeches as they are failing to ever carry through on their words. -Smita Magar in Kathmandu Published:UsNepalOnline.Com --------------------------------
Nepalese Women Are Not Safe Even in New Nepal
Thapa Magar said, “We condemn the arrest of women rights activists on Thursday.” She said they were very much concerned and have been talking with the Home Ministry concerning the issue. “Due to the political instability in the country, violence against women (VOW) has increased, so to insure the security of women rights activities and take stern action against those involved in the violence we have been urging the Ministry to take action,” she added. Women rights activists from National Women’s Rights Protection Network (NWRPN) have been in a relay hunger strike for the last 13 days in Mandala, Maitighar demanding a high-level autonomous commission to deal with all forms of VOW, laws against domestic violence and independent investigation into the killing of activist Laxmi Bohora. Women’s rights activist Laxmi Bohora from Kanchanpur district was allegedly brutally murdered by her husband and mother-in-law on 24 Jeth, 2065 B.S. Last Thursday, women’s rights activists from NWRPN had gone to distribute their pamphlets in front of ICC when they were suddenly lathi-charged and arrested. Chandra Bishwokarma (B.K) executive committee member from Surkhet NWRPN said, “We had only gone there to attract the government’s attention to our issues. So, 15 of us were just distributing pamphlets when we were surrounded, beaten, then arrested.” Kamala Sharma, member of Constituent Assembly (CA) from Surkhet-1 was at Mandala on Friday to support them. She said “I am here to support them and their issues.” NWRPN is planning to stage a rally on Sunday in the capital to bring the attention of the government to their issues.
Published:UsNepalOnline.Com --------------------------------------
Workshop on Film-making for Indigenous Women in Nepal
The six day-long workshop which started on 22 of June and concluded on 27th June was for indigenous women who were interested in making documentary film. Twenty one women representing different ethnic groups as well as one Chhetri and one member of the Dalit community participated. The workshop was undertaken by IFA with support from the Danish Embassy. “Women play very important role in culture conservation not only through their cultural dresses and dances but also through their everyday lifestyle and traditional practices,” says Renchin Yonjan, national consultant for the Danish Embassy. She believes that with this workshop has given the platform to empower indigenous women. “It will open new horizons and encourage them to make films that raise as yet unexplored issues and practices from ethnic communities. This will promote, preserve and document unique cultural practices and knowledge of indigenous communities,” she added. “This is a small contribution from our side to provide an opportunity for them to open doors into new fields,” she said. She hopes that even if some will not be directly involved in film making, they will help in the documentation of good cultural practices of indigenous communities. Participants representing their communities were from many walks of life and professions. There were also participants from marginalized communities and regions such as Chepang, Majhi ethnic groups and Mugu region. Tshering Rhitar Sherpa, a workshop trainer said the women showed immense potential and interest in film making. “They were naive about film-making but within days they improved a lot as they showed their enthusiasm to learn,” he said. Three other well known film-makers, Nabin Subba, Rajesh Gongaju and Anup Subedi also guided trainees in different aspects of film-making. Sherpa said the six day workshop was not sufficient to become truly competent in this field and added “Due to the lack of time we could only touch the surface level. If they can receive more extensive training, then I am sure they will emerge as good film-makers.” She said she learned a lot here about filming. However, due to the short time it was sometimes difficult to keep up the trainers’ instruction. “ Those things which are learned in 2 or 3 years by others we struggled to learn in 2 hours.” The film industry is a male-dominated sector in the country where very few female film-makers are involved and among those females, very few are from indigenous communities. So though only little, this workshop can encourage some indigenous women to reach for the new horizon of cinema. “We are optimistic that at least 5 to 7 of these women will get involved in the industry,” said Nabin Subba. Of the 21 participants, 10 semifinalists will be selected and from those, five finalists will be given the opportunity to make a short film in 15 days within a budget of Rs. 150,000 to Rs. 200,000. The overall program included basic knowledge of film and the history of film. They watched several award-winning movies and documentaries, followed by discussion and review sessions. Last year, the same workshop was organized for professional indigenous men involved in film-making to encourage them to make documentaries on indigenous cultural and traditional practices.
Published: UsNepalOnline.Com -------------------------------- 10 Nepalese Young Women Who Climbed Mt. Everest Kathmandu, June 6, 2008- Ten of First Inclusive Women Sagarmatha Expedition (FIWSE) who successfully ascended the Mount Everest summit this Spring on 25th May were felicitated with tamrapatra and cultural places tour (nagar parikrama) in Kathmandu. Speaking in a reception program in Basantapur where first Mt. Everest conqueror Tenjing Norge Sherpa and Sir Admund Hillary were fecilated, Minister of Finance Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said that it was the moment of proud for whole Nepalese and Nepal. “In this historical year, with the successful expedition of Mt. Everest from these courageous Nepali daughters I believe 2065 will be established as the year of glory,” Minister Mahat stated. He further shared that he had his doubts when he had seen the inclusive women team before they left for expedition. “They are so young of age and so it looked impossible for me to think of them successfully conquer the harsh circumstances of Mt. Everest. But what seemed impossible to me, they made it possible,” he said. “Their success not only proves women are not in any way inferior to men but also will give inspiration and courage to other women,” he added. Expedition Co-coordinator, Susmita Maskey expressed her gratitude to all the supporters and felicitating program organizers. “Thank you for believing us, supporting us and celebrating our success with us,” she expressed. In 2005, Maskey had reached up to 8,800 m in her first attempt to climb Mt. Everest. Sailee Basnet, the first Nepali woman journalist to scale Mt. Everest said apart from exhilarating feelings, her first thought when she was on top of the world was “From where, what region, what profession…where I have come.” The team had special support in expedition from Dangbu Sherpa and Pemba Dorje Sherpa. “We were a little bit worried as they all are very young and it was their first time but they showed immense strength, courage and determination which led to this successful scale on Everest,” said Pemba Dorje Sherpa who has himself climbed Everest 8 times and has the World Record as the fast climber. In the program organized by First Inclusive Women Sagarmatha Expedition, Citizen Felicitating Committee, after these successful conquerors of Mount Everest were honored with tamrapatra they were taken to the cultural places tour in Kathmandu. The tour started from Basantapur, Lagan, Bhimsenthan, Indrachok then back to Basantapur with Nayakhi baja, cultural jhaki, dhime baja, police band and huge mass even though it was raining. The team of FIWSE 2008 Spring includes ten Nepali women, from 17-27 years-old, representing a range of the country’s castes and ethnicities. This is the first time that women from the Brahmin, Chettri, Danuwar, and Gurung communities have summited Mt. Everest. They are Pujan Acharya, Sailee Basnet, Usha Bista, Asha Kumari Sing and Maya Gurung respectively. Other successful climbers are Susmita Maskey and Chunu Shrestha from Newar community, Nimdoma Sherpa, Pema Diki Sherpa and Nawang Phuti Sherpa from Sherpa community. In total,17 Nepali women have successfully climbed Mt. Everest. The expedition was supported by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) along with other government and non government organizations including the private sector.
Susmita Maskey, 27, is a Masters Degree holder in English Literature and model for an international brand. She has been climbing and mountaineering since 2003. In 2005, as a member of the Peace-Everest Expedition, she became the first Newar to climb any mountain. During her first attempt of Everest she came within 48 meters of the summit. She represents the Newars, a people who traditionally reside in Kathmandu. 2) Asha Kumari Singh Asha Kumari Sing is a 22-year-old student and a beautician. She comes from the Danuwar community and an orthodox Madhesi family in Meghrail, Janakpur. She has completed Female Outdoor Leadership training and the Basic Mountaineering Course. Given her upbringing along the flatlands of the Terai in a village without electricity, challenging all orthodox beliefs she has come a long way to become a member of the team. Hailing from a poor Kathmandu family, Chunu, 26, and her sister began working to help support her family during grade 6 by taking other people’s laundry to wash. Despite this she has finished plus-2 education (High School) and started pursuing her B.A. 4) Maya Gurung At a young age, Maya left her village, Sindhapulchowk, to come to Kathmandu and seek a better education. Now 27, she has faced her fair share of hardships. She ran away from home after her father tried to force her to marry and her family in general hesitates to support her passion for adventure sports. She completed her Basic Mountaineering Course without their consent. She participates in activities like climbing and rafting to give her strength and free her spirit from her troubles. 5) Nimdoma Sherpa Nimboda Sherpa, 17, is the youngest on the team. She has recently completed her high school graduation. When she was 8, at the insistence of her older brother, she left Dolkha to attend private school in Kathmandu. Overcoming the death of her father before exams, she subsequently became the first in her family to complete her School Leaving Certificate (SLC). This same brother, an acquaintance of Pemba Dorje Sherpa, encouraged her to join the FIWSE expedition. She has completed the Basic Mountaineering Course as the part of FIWSE, outperforming everybody in her class, even the men. 6) Nawang Phuti Sherpa Nawang Phuti Sherpa was a homey-girl until Sherpa women inspired her to explore mountaineering.
Pemadiki Sherpa is one of three girls born to parents who moved to Kathmandu with nothing but the clothes on their backs. In school Pemadiki was ridiculed because she was so poor. Now 20 years old, she is an acupuncture nurse and student who take trekking as an enchanting and spiritual journey. She has completed a Basic Mountaineering Course. From Dolkha, she represents the Sherpa Community. 8) Pujan Acharya Working on completing her undergraduate studies in Business Management, Pujan Acharya is also an activist working for a human rights organization in Dolkha. From Dolkha, she represents the Brahmin Community. 9) Sailee Basnet Having completed her Bachelors degree in Bachelor’s of Business Information Systems (BBIS) and Post Graduate degree in Journalism, Sailee Basnet has made her mark as a young journalist working as a staff reporter for Himal Media. She became interested in climbing and mountaineering because of the physical and mental challenges that it poses. Aged 24 years old from Kathmandu, she represents the Chhetri community. She is now the first Nepali woman journalist to climb Mt. Everest. In 2005, first Nepali journalist Sherpa climbed Mt. Everest. 10) Usha Bista Usha Bista is the first Chhetri to attempt Mt. Everest as part of the Loktantrik Expedition Team (2007). She was left behind at 8,400m and later rescued by Nepali instructors and an American team. She is now 22 years old and was excited to make her second attempt as part of FIWSE. She has completed basic and advanced mountaineering courses.
Published: UsNepalOnline.Com ---------------------------------
Book Review:
-Smita Magar in Kathmandu A shy, soft speaking and yet with clear voice of her thoughts Parbati Shrestha, a 14 year old girl is no ordinary girl. At this very young age she has become the creator of a world of beauty in her novel called “Abhab” (The Shortage). With this first novel, Parbati Shrestha is probably the youngest novelist of Nepal. Born in 2050 in Ramechhap district of Nepal, her writing is full of passion, energy and talent. While reading “Abhab” it is hard to believe that Parbati Shrestha is a student in the ninth grade. Her creativity is without boundaries. Her work is proof that age doesn’t matter writing a beautiful novel. The passion, imagination, determination and close observation is all that is needed to be a creative person. In Abhab, Shrestha explores social problems through her characters. The shortage of basic needs, the problem of one family, represents the problem of our society and is the theme of this novel. Creating Sandhya as the protagonist, Shrestha not only talks about problems raised by poverty but also raises issues of gender discrimination and other social problems. Deepak, Sandesh, Ajay and Mina are the supporting characters with whom you are bound to fall in love in this story. With only 50 pages and the fast movement of events in the plot, readers are likely to finish reading it in one sitting. There is no doubt that Parbati Shrestha is the writer to watch in her generation. 12th May, 2008, ------------------------------------ पारिजात सङ्घर्षशील पुरस्कार अर्की सङ्घर्षशील नारीलाई -Smita Magar in Kathmandu काठमाडौं, May 11, 2008-The three awards named after the famous Nepalese writer Parijat, were given to three prominent Nepalese: Gazal writer Bund Rana Magar, youth leader Ram Kumari Jhakri Magar and artist Kiran Manandhar. The special event was organized by Parijat Memorial Center on the 14th Parijat Memorial Day. Bund Rana Magar received the Parijat Creation Award (Parijat Srijanshil Puraskar), Kiran Manandhar received the Parijat Art Award (Parijat Kala Puraskar) and Ram Kumari Jhakri Magar received the Parijat Struggles for Women Award (Parijat Sangharsashil Nari Puraskar) in recognition of their outstanding contributions. Ram Kumari Jhakri noted that Parijat lead and inspired our youth through her strong and powerful contributions in literature and in the cultural/political scene. Thanking organizers for the honor, Jhakri said “I am receiving this award on behalf of all Nepali youth who want to create a better Nepal”. Artist Kiran Manandhar shared his beautiful memories with Parijat. “We artists and writers have the power to change the world using only pen, brush and color. Therefore, like Parijat, we must join hands to build a New Nepal”. Gazal writer Bund Rana recited his one of the best gazals and announced that he will use his award to publish more of his writings. Katyayeni, a famous Indian Progressive writer described Parijat’s writings as absurdum and existential crisis as well as describing the political, social and cultural issues of country. Maoist leader and culture expert Mohan Baidhya “Chaitanya” said “Parijat is a foundation of Nepal’s cultural and literary movement. She has given birth to characters who have fought for more than a decade in the Maoists People’s War, and have emerged victorious.” Sukanya Waiwa, Parijat’s sister, said it was the happiest and the saddest day for her. “Saddest in that she is no longer with us, happiest in that she continues to live through her writings and her deeds.”
Parijat was born in 1937 in Darjeeling, India and arrived in Kathmandu in 1954. She completed high school at Padma Kanya School, Kathmandu and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. At age 26 she became paralyzed and was supported for the rest of her life by her sister Sukanya Waiba Tamang. She published three poetry collections, many short stories and ten novels. Her first short story "Mailey Najanmayeko Choro" became an all time favourite. She is best known as a novelist. “ Siris ko Ful” gained the national and international popularity. She was awarded Madan Puraskar for the novel in 1965. She received many other literary awards for her writing and dedication to Nepalese literature. Parijat was a part of the Ralfa literature movement and played a pivotal role in the establishment of Pragati Sil Lekhan Sangh. She was active in Akhil Nepal Mahila Manch, Bandi Sahayata Niyog, and Nepal Manav Adhikar Sangathan. Parijat remained unmarried and continued to suffer the pain and struggle against her disabilities. She never gave up. She inspired everyone. She died in 1993. She lives today in the heart of the Nepalese people as one of their heroes. Published: UsNepalOnline.Com ---------------------------------
नेपाली सारी सैनिकहरुको सागा By Smita Magar Kathmandu, December 22, 2007-These two strong women came together to film other six strong women‘s real life stories with different perspectives on the ongoing decade-long conflict in the country; on their reels. A decade of bloody people’s war left Nepal with deep scars that no one knows when they will heal. These two strong women saw the extraordinary power hidden beneath the scars on six particular Nepalese women who struggled to overcome their loss and found the hope to fight on from different poles to reach the destinations they believed in. These two strong women are Julie Bridgham and Ramyata Limbu; director/producer and co-producer of the documentary “The Sari Soldiers”. In 2005, during the time of the Maoist insurgency in Nepal, one, an American woman, the other, a 7 months pregnant Nepali woman took their chances and started filming the documentary. “It was very difficult and very challenging especially after King Gyanendra’s coup on February 1st. We had no idea which direction the country was headed and also it was very difficult to physically reach some of the characters of our film,” said Julie Bridgham. “For Julie, being an American during those times was in some way dangerous because Maoists had their different way of looking at American citizens so we had to take considerable precautions,” Ramyata Limbu added. The documentary observes six extraordinary women’s lives and their involvement in the decade-long conflict. The women include Devi Sunuwar, mother of a "disappeared" daughter Maina Sunuwar, a human rights attorney Mandira Sharma, an anti-Maoist village leader Krishna Shahi, a street protesting student activist & leader Ram Kumari Jhakri, a Royal Nepal Army officer Rajani K.C, and a Maoist People’s Liberation Army Brigadier Commissar Kamala Roka alias Kranti. It shows the role of women on all sides of the conflict as well as the greater political and human rights issues in the decade-long insurgency. It reveals their participation in major political events, exposes their victimization while showing the positive roles they played in transforming Nepal using bold steps to lead with their beliefs. Though the Sari in the name is a metaphorical name for female-civilians, director Bridgham said “Each is a fascinating individual making significant impacts in the country, with her own perspective of looking at the conflict of the country. Each is to be celebrated as a person in herself, not in particular as a woman.” While Limbu smilingly added that her life has been enriched by meeting those totally different, and yet so similar individuals, each with strong determination and each struggling through the conflict, it was a very wonderful experience for her to see the characters unfold through the different events. Apart from the challenges they had to face while filming the documentary, Bridgman and Limbu shared another challenge when they showed their film to the six women together in the studio. “We were very nervous that day. We had brought all of them together in one place for the very first time. At first, there was hardly any communication between them, but then after seeing the documentary they talked about it with each other and interacted freely. The environment became more enjoyable then,” said Limbu remembering that memorable day. After seeing the audience response in their two special screenings of the documentary in Nepal, the film makers are very excited. “It’s great to see people responding strongly to the film. We hope it will be shown all over Nepal and result in discussion, dialogue and understanding between people with different views about the decade long conflict,” states Bridgham. She further added that they are hoping viewers will understand why these six women who hold different opinions are able to reach common understanding. "The Sari Soldiers” delves into how women were increasingly involved in the conflict and for that, it is a captivating film. Each story touches the audience emotionally, changing their emotions with the changes of the story in the film. “The documentary is very powerful. Being able to combine each perspective and give full justice to each personality in the film is remarkable,” said one of the characters of the film, Ram Kumari Jhakri Magar said. Our Special Contributor/Representative Smita Magar is an intern at The Kathmandu Post (Kantipur Publication) in Kathmandu. She can be reached at: Tel: +977-984-160-0316, or email her at: smagar@gmail.com. To read her blog visit: Sincera Published:UsNepalOnline.Com -------------------------------- |
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