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The woods are lovely, dark and deep; but I have promises to keep and, miles to go before I sleep…
 
Nepali women still have to go a long way in the path of change

Every morning people in historical Palpa township wake up to see the beautiful scenic villages situated in the sloping hills. Palpa has its own uniqueness to offer. Be it the natural beauty or the culture of people living here both are entirely different from what people see in other regions of the country. After some two hours’ drive from Butwal crossing a snake-like highway one reaches Palpa. Wow! The cool breeze touches your ears and tells that the environment in Palpa is wonderful.

But, do local people here feel the same fragrance as the tourists do? Can all the people living here see the scenic beauty of these hills? And, do these people have enough time to observe such a magnificent historical place? If you happen to encounter Indra Kumari Nepali, you will also come to know one hard reality of life, that is, everything becomes less important when there is the question of survival. Indra Kumari, a seventy-one-year old lady hardly finds any time to enjoy the beautiful environment of Palpa. She toils from early morning to late evening just to keep her body and soul together. Indra Kumari was working in the rice meal that morning. When we approached the elderly woman with bright eyes for photograph, she turned a bit shy.

What had made Indra Kumari work so hard in this chilly morning? The question brought tears in her eyes, enough to overwhelm any soft heart. Indra Kumari was in the rice mill to process rice for Lahure Magar of Bishalbazar of Tansen, Palpa. After working the whole morning she gets one meal from Lahure’s wife. During daytime she works as labourer and earns very little - Rs 50 for working the whole day. Her husband is an asthma patient and needs treatment but she does not have enough money to take him to hospital. “He keeps on coughing the whole night. I get scared but can’t do anything good for him,” she laments with a heavy heart. She is trying to collect some amount for his treatment. “Earning a square meal is very difficult for an old woman like me, I don’t know when I will be able to save some money for taking my sick husband to a doctor,” a desperate Indra Kumari told us as she burst into tears.

It is not that she does not have anyone at this elderly age. She has two daughters and four sons. “What’s the use of those sons who do not bother about their parents?” queries Indra Kumari. Both her daughters have been married off. Two of her eldest sons Gyanendra and Puru Nepali work in a private company at Butwal; the youngest Sanjeev Nepali has gone to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. She does not know the whereabouts of Gyan Bahadur Nepali, the middle one. “This is the reality of life sir; what’s the use of talking about sons who have gone far from you?” a pessimistic Indra Kumari tried to console herself. She knows nothing about “women’s rights,” neither does she know about the local organisations working for women’s development. But, of course, she has heard about Maoists. “I have not seen them but people say that they live in the jungle and fight the government,” she said.

Perhaps, several mothers in Palpa have a similar story to tell as women suffer most when the times are difficult. It should be noted that women in any part of Nepal work harder and for longer hours than men. It is also the only country in South Asia. Very few women are educated and obviously, it is not strange that an elderly woman like Indra Kumari does not know about women’s right. “It seems that it will take a long time to make everyone know about women’s empowerment,” said Madhavi Pandey, a university student from Palpa, Tansen.

Women in Palpa have adopted several professions. Women in villages like Bhairabsthan, Masyam grow seasonal and off-seasonal vegetables. Apart form selling vegetables in the local market, they take it to Butwal, a nearby town, too. Many women in VDCs are members of Women’s Saving Group. However, women living in Tansen, Palpa have different jobs to do. Most of them have a typical profession here—weaving Dhaka, a Nepali hand woven cloth. However, they also run local shops, go to offices and work in local non-governmental organisations.

Mohani Bajracharya has studied up to high school level but did not go to college because she did not like to study. Now she does the household chores besides helping her brothers and father in making Karuwa (water pot made up of metal). She is a member of village-city partnership programme and saves Rs 100 per month in her account. “Our group has already collected 100 thousand rupees. Such programmes have helped us become independent. We can get loan when necessary,” she said.

Women, who weave Dhaka, are not satisfied with their earning. One has to start as early as 6:00 am and end around 5 pm to finish a meter long cloth that sells for Rs 150 to Rs 600 a meter. “I am paid just Rs 65 for weaving one meter Dhaka. Is that fair?” queries Shanta Gautam, who has been weaving for the last four years. “What can I buy with Rs 65? It is our compulsion because of our low economic status; we have no choice, we have to continue,” adds Channi Maya Thapa of Taxar, Tansen. Thapa’s husband has gone to Saudi Arabia to work as labourer. She lives alone so she has to earn.

And those who are not satisfied with Dhaka weaving business in Palpa also work in hotels and restaurants. Urmila and Menuka are such women working in a guest house at Tansen, Palpa. It takes Urmila, 17, half an hour to reach her office from her home at Batase Danda village. Her duty begins as early as seven in the morning and goes on till five in the evening. Her mother and elder sisters weave Dhaka but she chose a different profession hoping she could earn more. “I had to drop my education after high school because there was no one to support me,” she said. Her father does nothing and is an alcoholic. But working in a guesthouse is not so easy. “You have to face severe criticism from society to earn just a salary of Rs 1210 a month,” she said.

22 year-old Menuka Rana has similar experience. She earns Rs 1375 per month but has to face criticism from people. “Can a woman working in guest house have good character?” is the question these women have to face each time they encounter people having constricted attitude. Apart from working outside, Menuka has to help her mother at home in household chores and bring firewood from the nearby forests. She has three brothers and three sisters. Her brothers and two younger sisters are studying in a high school. Therefore, she has to work hard, alone.

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