The Harsh Reality as Against the Undying Hope and the Vision

- Moheindu Chemjong

The whole set of harsh realities lies in these real-life examples. Eighteen year-old Sanu Maya had

come to Kathmandu with the dream of making it big in the central city. Within two weeks, she was

cajoled and convinced by her relative to go to Mumbai promising her a grand, well-paid job in the

huge, cosmopolitan city. It was only after another two weeks that she realised that she had been

sold off to a brothel-owner for twenty thousand rupees. The innocent, cherub-faced Meena is a

child worker who works as a labour in a garment factory. She gets a meager amount to eat and

she slugs day and night just to be able to afford two decent meals a day. Her senior fellowworkers

sexually harass Meena. At the birth of Kamala, her mother had to suffer an acid assault

for not having begetted a son. Sabitri was nearly burnt to death by her in-laws for not bringing a

comely dowry. Every night, her drunkard husband beats up patali because he thinks his wife is

worthy to be beaten. Juneli had to stop going to school at the age of ten because her parents

thought it was a waste to spend money on the girl child who would after all be married off

someday. The well dressed and pretty Sunita who's walking down the street is stared at as if

she's just descended form some alien planet, she is winked at, whistled at and verbally harassed.

Mentally and emotionally tough women are looked upon and called, "un-womanly", and

"unapproachable". Sundar gets more nutritious food and more milk than his sister, Renu because

Renu is a girl. When women drink, or visit discotheques, they are not said to be enjoying life but

they are taken to be fast or cheap. Even derogatory metaphors like Bokshi or Kitchkanne (witch)

and Potne not jotne (the house-cleaner and not the worker) that exist in the Nepalese society

humiliates womanhood. The numerous beliefs in the Nepali culture like Mardako Dashwati (a

virile man has plenty of women) have been handed over from generation to generation. Women

suspected of witchcraft are thrown stones at or burnt to death. If the husband dies soon after

marriage the blame falls on the woman- she is said to be a Poi Tokua (a woman who kills her

husband because of her bad star). A huge number of women lag behind in access to property,

justice, credit and education.

From times immemorable, women have silently suffered. I call upon every women to feel proud of

being a woman, raise her head high above the ordinary, to live life fully as it comes, fight

injustices done to her and live a heavenly life on earth for women too, are the children of the

Universe who have a divine right to soar high above and live life completely.

If we think candidly, a man is born out of a woman, the mother. If we look at the word MAN and

WOMAN, we can see that even the word MAN is carved out of the word WOMAN itself. A woman

is not only a daughter and a sister but also a mother from whose womb a man is born and who

gives him love, teaches him love and first teaches him the lessons of life. But it is ironical that the

same woman is beaten up, raped, abused sexually, mentally and psychologically by men.

Disregard for girls rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of

mankind. Everyday, stories are heard of bride burning and how innocent, celestial girls become a

victim of abhoration, oppression and being treated as animals and cheap commodities. Women

are repeatedly molested and have been victims of incest. Girl trafficking, assaults and polygamy

are just other examples of violations of women's rights. Women need to be protected against all

these deadly entrapments of society, women need to be respected more, and women need to be

given rights, more decision- making powers, and more freedom.

The scenario in the case of Nepalese women is the patriarchal society where women have been

stolen of their basic rights. They have been denied good education and good learning

environment. Even literate women in some rural areas lose their skills because they have fewer

job opportunities. Surrounded by a film of unreasonable superstitions and blind beliefs on

womanhood which insults womanhood itself, a woman plays the role of a submissive woman

ready to put her husband's needs first before hers and kill her individuality. Generation after

generation, women have been deprived even the fundamental right of education. It is said women

should not learn too much or they might go wild and not obey their elders. It is a must for every

girl to be educated, to utilise her intellectual and productive capacities, and to learn to make her

god-given gift of life a fulfilling experience.

Likewise, the carpet factories, cement kilns, stone quarries, domestic households all have their

own uniqueness but the only sad underlying story that is common to all above is the employment

of young female child workers. The little girl children who instead of enjoying their childhood are

managing their childhood for two meals a day. These child workers live in cramped, dirty houses

which are health wise hazardous, too. These little girls bear their pain in their tender hearts. Many

of the girl child workers working as laborers are often abused and sold off to brothels in India.

Their lissome charm, innocent grace, and purity are monkeyed upon.

Similarly, every minute, girls are being stolen of their virginity, they are being victims of physical

assault, sexual abuse, emotionally hurt, crushed and broken into many pieces. The number of

mentally disturbed women who have been victims of lust is rising at an alarming rate. Many

women are taking their lives out of ignorance, guilt or out of shame and a fear of rejection.

Women have long endured pain and their youthfulness has been fiddled upon.

Culturally speaking, women are placed at a position lower than that of men. Women are looked

upon as second-class citizens who do not get to enjoy many human rights and amenities as men.

If the husband dies soon after marriage, the woman is blamed. The widow is forced to lead an

empty, vapid life. If she carries on a conversation with a member of the opposite sex, she is

labeled as being an immoral, promiscuous woman. Childless women have low status in the

communities, and are regarded with suspicion and fear. In many cases, childlessness is not

attributed to male sterility but to female barrenness. Women want cultural changes that

encompass the basic human rights. Women are crying out for justice! Is there anybody to listen?

It is, however, encouraging to know that times are changing. A girl is now freer to live an

independent life. She is slowly rising above from the ashes of inhumanity and injustice and she is

getting educated. She carries an air of confidence and new found liberty where she dares to

dream and fulfill her ambitions. Her aspirations pronounce her individuality and freedom. She has

to be supported by the society in coming out of the chains of societal evils that had been tied up

for a million years. Shelters, houses, counseling facilities, respect and right to proper education to

arm her with, justice and a decent attitude towards them is what women require. The social

structures should be re-made, revised and revamped so that women too get equal rights and

opportunities to rise above and make a difference in the society. It has to be accepted that

women are mentally, psychologically and mentally power-giants women should never be denied

of rights for a denial of such rights is cardinal sin. It is for the society to bring about changes in the

cultural traditions so that women are not discriminated in any sense and to balance the

imbalances between the rights of men and women in the legal provisions and in the

implementation of law. The society and the state has to ensure rights of the girl child without

discrimination of the girl child, check if infant and child mortality, recognise the right of the girl

child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be

hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or

physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. Finally, I strongly believe that the dismal

state in which many are living today will have to change and will definitely change.

I urge every human being in the society to think about girls rights. I request everyone to sit down

and think what would happen if women disappeared just for one day? A girl symbolises and

epitomises love, courage, talent, compassion and incessant power. It is high time people shed off

the outrageous and tainted prejudice and take off the blindfold through which women have been

looked upon. It is pertinent to understand that women are the indispensable, pivotal factors of the

society. The full and complete development of the country, the welfare of the world and the cause

of peace require the maximum participation of women on equal terms with men in all fields. The

civil, economic, political and social and development rights are universal, indivisible part of

universal human rights. The full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedom by women

and girls must be the priority of the governments. These should be clear guidelines and strategies

to translate the policy objectives regarding girl rights into concrete action.

If the woman is not protected and given rights there will be an adverse impact on the socioeconomy

and the running of the world as whole. Help the girl child, protect her, be there for her

and let her live with the spirit of peace, tolerance, dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity. In

return, she will do the same- she’ll help you, support you, love you and make you realise your

dreams. Help her realise hers and you could spin fabulous dreams together and from there, you’ll

reach utopia free from injustice and the various callous facets of society.

Courtesy

Sancharika Lekhmala/Sancharika Samuha Nepal