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Stronger we stand united

Ten upper caste women were the founding members when the WWA affiliated group Thatiya Mahila Samuha was established 11 years ago. Pokhara Chowk VDC, ward no.4 in Palpa district, was no exception to the all pervasive caste descrimination. The high caste Brahmin women however did invite the low caste Kumal women to participate in their group. But the Kumal women politely refused. They were not interested and did not have the time to leave their work in the fields and at home.

“At that time the Kumal women were so backward that they thought that when somebody recommended them to have their children vaccinated it actually meant they wanted to kill them”, one of the Brahmin women recalls.

But after five years the Kumal women came themselves and wanted to be included in the group. The low caste women found it a good idea to take advantage of various trainings and the practice of saving in group. Thirteen women were willing to invest their time in the monthly meetings and occasional trainings conducted by WWA. Treasurer of the group Radha Neupane and her fellow members immediately agreed to involve the Kumal women. The difference in caste and social status was not a problem and this was a message that the Brahmin women wanted to send to other parts of the community as well.

Radha Neupane explains, “We hear about equality everyday in radio and TV. You can be punished for not treating low caste people well. If somebody should ask me why we are together in the women’s group I tell them: We live in Naya Jamana (new age) .Why should low and high castes not be equal? And why are not men and women equal?”

Teaching the husbands

The difference between men and women - particularly in physical strength – is an ongoing issue of great concern to the group. Domestic violence is a big problem all over Nepal and Pokhara Chowk VDC is no exception. Fighting between husbands and wives takes place no matter which caste you belong to.

But through awareness raising the problem of domestic violence is significantly less prevalent now than before in the area. One training for both men and women on women’s rights has been given by WWA in order to initiate discussion and stop the bad habit. At one time 15 women from the group went jointly to a house to pressure the husband to stop beating his wife. They succeeded.
As a representative of the less privileged women in Pokhara Chowk VDC, Gyanu Kumal is happy to say that, ”these days there is no beating”. Unfortunately her own husband was not able to attend the training on women’s rights because he works most of the year in India, “When he came back I showed him pictures and we talked about the bad habit of beating. He agreed to stop fighting. I convinced him but he also talked to some other men in the village about it. He finds it good that I attend trainings and learn something.”

Another visible effect of Gyanu teaching her husband new ways is the sharing of the money he earns in India. He usually visits her and their three children once a year. This time used to be the only opportunity for Gyanu to receive some money for the household. Now he has started to send money by courier every 3-6 months so that Gyanu can buy some necessities and send all their children to school.

To join hands to stop domestic violence and encourage each other to send both boys and girls to school are by no doubt good efforts made by the women’s group. But how does the membership of the group affect the day-to-day life in the community?

Both Radha Neupane and Gyanu Kumal are of the opinion that the women in the group are equal. According to Gyanu Kumal, no differences prevail among the women, be it inside the group or in public.

“The belief in equality that has now spread to the community has started from the women’s group. We now ask each other for help and while working together the Brahmins accept our water and snacks – something they would not do before. The fact that we are equal in the group encourages us in our daily life.”

Radha Neupane uses the wedding feasts as an example. “In my own wedding party people had sat separately according to their caste. Brahmins were not allowed to touch the food except when given directly to them by a priest in white clothes. The Kumal people were sitting all by themselves. We did not know that this was wrong. Now we have buffet system and there is no problem of Kumals and Brahmins sitting and eating together. After making the women’s group we have become aware and have changed our ways,” Gyanu says.

Still differences

Despite the mutual understanding of equality and no discrimination within the group there is room for improvement in perpetuating the sense of unity prevailing in the group and in the community. As Gyanu Kumal puts it,”We have gone up the ladder a little. But we still have a long way to climb. We need to raise our education level. And I think we can improve the feeling of unity even more.” Gyanu is not able to elaborate further . Neither does she give concrete answers as to how and when the unity is lacking.

Radha Neupane also sees the challenges for the group - “Sometimes it can be difficult to gather the whole group when we have our monthly meetings. The Kumal women have to go to the field and cannot find time to come even though we try to arrange the meetings so that everybody should be able to attend. But I understand. They need to have something to eat. It is a fact that their economic condition is bad as they have no land and have to work for others.”

Hence the division between ‘we’ and ‘them’ is still prevailing in the women’s group. “They are very backward. To them learning to write their signature is enough,” as one Brahmin member expresses it as we are about to leave the village. Bearing in mind that development is often a long process the changes are a step in the right direction.

To Gyanu Kumal, being a member of the group has meant a “relief from the economical and social problems I had. I know little. I am uneducated but would like to know more. That I am sitting here talking to you today is a big achievement for me.”