Re-reading my blogs on Nepal, I have mentioned that they are more op-ed than reflections. Maybe one of the reasons is that I am writing them after coming back to California, and have more time to reflect, read others’ opinions and structure them. For me it was very hard to write something on the spot, not just because I was tired or did not have time, but because all memories were still really fresh. Every time in the evening I had a lot of rapid thoughts in my mind about what I have seen, a lot of feelings that disturbed me. What we were doing there was so current, we made deal with real people, real problems and real stories. That did not help me in writing, but helped to get out of the bubble I was leaving in.
Before coming to Nepal, even before our first predeparture session I did not think about the oppression of women rights in the world. I could not even imagine how big this issue is. However, after first documentaries about women soldiers and women trafficking I was shocked and depressed. I remember talking to my mom on Skype, about what I have seen and experienced, about another reality I was not aware of.
As I understood from documentaries, women in Nepal have always been there, agitating, making change, and demanding more from their government. They have been there throughout Nepal’s political history, but today, two complaints could be heard:
1. Women’s movement is not unified
2. It is led mostly by elite women.
The second oversimplifies elite women’s capacity for empathy and understanding of other women’s lives. The women’s movement in Nepal is complex, and if leadership and trust issues can be addressed, it can be a paradigm shift to those within, of how diversity can function and thrive. The first step that needs to be taken is addressing the lack of non-elite women leaders in the movement.
In my opinion, one of the problems is elite bias within the Nepali society and within women’s movements. Women with the time and financial stability will have more opportunities to act upon the injustices they experience, but these issues are not the issues of all women. Of course these women’s voices are necessary to the movement. Issues arise, though, when they are the only voices being heard.
However, Nepal’s women’s movement is doing relatively well in terms of diversity of voice. The Constitutional Assembly includes women from many different backgrounds, and women’s non-governmental organizations have networks that are building consensus among diverse women. In the current constitutional process, these networks have identified women’s political participation and citizenship, as the rights women in Nepal most need. When we spoke to women in a village outside of Kathmandu, however, the first thing on their list was working opportunities and the right to work. They also wanted those political rights, but their immediate need was jobs. There seems to be a disconnection.
Economic issues need to be addressed. What about rural women that need jobs? Civil and political rights are incredibly important, and there is a need for economical and social rights that protect and empower women. Thirty-three or even fifty percent representation does not put food on the table or cash in the pocket for a rural woman. The rights of women need to be approached holistically.
Even within issues such as political representation, there are questions that must be addressed. Which women will be selected if 33 percent or more is guaranteed in all areas of government? Women in Nepal are obviously as diverse as Nepal itself. Would elite women feel adequately represented should the political parties decide to cover multiple quotas and only list Janajati, Madhesi and Dalit women in their candidate lists.
Because of how diverse Nepal is, if the women’s movement can create a thriving and successful base, they as a group can lead Nepal in example of how to make diversity a true strength.
How can Nepal’s women do this?
Create a culture of listening. Organizations like the Three Sisters are spaces where such work is being done. They build these organizations and strengthen the power to empathize with women from vastly different experiences and backgrounds. They are also creating a culture of support. This goal is especially important for when different groups of women focus on different issues. For example, imagine that Brahmin and Chhetri women were focused on policies that increase women’s access to loans for businesses and Janajati women were working on ones that help rural girls get an education. If the women of both groups were vocally supportive of each other, it would be much harder to play these women and their issues against each other. Every goal for improving women’s lives in Nepal is part of a whole process to undo millennia of oppression.
All in all, Nepal in all its diversity has the opportunity to create a women’s movement that is truly anti-oppression.