Our second edition of the 2024 Beyond Victims Series brings you stories of inspiring women political leaders from Nepal.
Dive in to read stories of Apsara Karki, Bhagwati Chaudhary, Raju Tiruwa, Sarada Kumari Chaudary, and Dhanpati Yadav.
Apsara Karki
Organised 26 elected women representatives forming a network to empower the municipality and mobilised networks to raise NPR 600,000 funding from the local government. This initiative addresses critical social issues like child marriage and untouchability, positively impacting all 12 wards of the municipality and strengthening women's roles in local governance.
Bhagwati Chaudary
Started her journey as a student activist, later transitioning into teaching and politics, now an influential voice in Nepali national politics. She led the community efforts during natural disasters, particularly floods, where she prioritised the needs of women from the Chaudhary community, part of Nepal's indigenous Tharu people.
Raju Tiruwa
She has played a key role in disaster relief efforts, particularly during the 2023 floods. Under her leadership, the municipality ensured timely aid distribution while prioritizing the specific needs of pregnant and menstruating women. She has worked to improve governance within the municipality and advocates for better inclusion of women in decision making processes.
Sarada Kumari Chaudhary
Before stepping into politics, she was involved with women’s groups and worked as a facilitator in adult education. Now, known for her bold leadership in handling sensitive cases as judicial committee member and for her commitment to people welfare during disaster management and humanitarian relief, addressing the unique challenges faced by women during crises.
Dhanpati Yadav
From experiencing and navigating patriarchy and domestic violence, to fighting against it, Dhanpati was elected twice as a representative from the municipality. She established a cooperative to promote women‘s financial independence and has also worked as a paralegal to support women facing violence. She continues to work on and advocates for gender-sensitive approaches to relief efforts.
Project Management: Ragini Puri
Contributors: Aditi Verma and Nikita Kumari
Edited by: Sugandha
Design: Ragini Puri
Template: Vida Seraphina (https://vidaseraphina.dk/)
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