Women of Nepal

Sharmila Karki

President of Jagaran Nepal
Secretary of the NGO Federation

Born in 1966 in Khotang district

Sharmila Karki, who was guardian to six younger brothers and sisters in her early teens, is well-known in the field of women's activism. She is now busy training women politicians, especially women members of the Constituent Assembly, which is why she established the non-government organization (NGO) 'Jagaran Nepal' for the establishment of women's rights, peace and governance.

Her father was a liberal politician during the Panchayat regime and encouraged education for women, which is why as the eldest daughter of seven children she was given the chance to go to school. When her third sister was born, her neighbors objected to sending her to school, however her father boldly said girls should be given a proper education, saying they could also achieve success, giving Indira Gandhi as an example. Karki said, "I learnt from my father that if we can get support and encouragement, our confidence level will rise and we can do whatever we want."

After passing the examination for the School Level Certificate, Karki's parents decided to send her to the capital to study in the only girls' campus, Padma Kanya Campus, for further studies. However, Karki worried about her younger brothers and sisters and therefore gave up her desire to study in Kathmandu, urging her father to let her go to Biratnagar with her brothers and sisters for higher education.

Karki said, "Since then, I got a chance to build leadership quality by bearing the responsibilities of my six juniors." She taught in Araniko Boarding School in Biratnagar. After a decade of hard work to support the education of her juniors, Karki finally decided to come to Kathmandu to pursue her postgraduate in Anthropology at Tribhuvan University. She always wanted to learn new things and achieve success in her life, and therefore studied diligently. While preparing her dissertation, she visited Bhatte Dande, a suburb in Lalitpur district in 1993 to make a village profile for 15 days.

Seeing the hardships suffered by women there was a heart wrenching experience for Karki. "I was determined to work for the betterment of women for life." However, her family wanted her to work in a government office. After completing her post graduation, she worked as a volunteer for three months at the Center for Women Development in a project funded by Sharp International to work in Nawalparasi district. She started this work in 1993 and married the following year.

Shanti Adhikari, a member of the ongoing Constituent Assembly and daughter-in-law of former Prime Minister Man Mohan Adhikari, had just returned from Belgium and proposed Karki start a new NGO. Together, they formed Children Women in Social Service and Human Rights (CWISH), working together for over two years against domestic child labor, however could not do any significant work due to lack of skills and ideas. Karki joined a course in women studies in Sweden for six months. While studying there she realized through participants from Africa, Latin America and Asia, that the situations of women in those countries were also very poor.

After returning to Nepal Karki worked as a freelance trainer and became a board member of various NGOs such as WOREC, TEWA and Shanti Ashram. She became active in women's rights activities such as anti-trafficking. Though offered jobs by various international NGOs (INGOs) in Kathmandu, Karki declined and began providing training to women on different topics, as well as consultation to various organizations and individuals under the name of 'Sachetana Consultancy'. 

Karki worked actively for the next five years, and came to see that women at Nepal's grassroots level are rarely in positions at decision-making level. Even in politics, many are prohibited from sitting in the Dais as guests. She predicted that until and unless women enter politics and change existing policies, their state will not change. She looked for ways to help women enter politics and work amid political experts actively.

Karki devised a plan to train women politicians for capacity-building, and simultaneously put pressure on parties to include women in their decision-making bodies. She established Jagaran Nepal in 2002 with the aim to raise women's position in politics. She was elected a district leader of the NGO Federation through her NGO CWISH. She was on the board for around seven or eight organizations at that time. 

During the conflict period people suggested Karki work for women affected by the Maoist insurgency. At the same time, she got the chance to go to Lamjung district with a team from the National Human Right Commission on a fact-finding mission to collect information about victims. She was shocked by the miserable situations of women in rural areas. She recounted one particular incident in which she was returning to base after talking with people in the village. One woman called her aside, showing her wounds and bruises suffered at the hands of army men trying to get information about her husband. It was just one example. On her return she held a meeting with experienced women's rights activists, such as Renu Rajbhandari and Shova Gautam, to initiate fruitful works for such women. She carried out research on conflict-hit women in five Village Development Committees in Dolakha district with the support of DANIDA.

Karki said, "We also formed 'Women Peace Group', in which we have now more than 9,000 women members. This group gives training to conflict-hit women for their social, political and economical empowerment." She also completed research in the districts of Kabhre, Sindhupalchok, Sindhuli, Morang and Sunsari.

Nevertheless, Karki's major motto was to empower Nepali women in politics. She started her own research in the situations of women politicians in Nepal in 2003/04. In those days there were fewer women in Parliament and the cabinet than today. She asked the women she interviewed three questions - how they came to be successful, what challenges they faced and their suggestions for other women. Her research is ongoing.

Analyzing their answers, Karki found the women needed training on skills such as computer operation, language and proposal writing. During 15 days spent at home recovering from a fractured leg, she prepared a proposal to get funds to help women in politics attend this training. Fortunately, Karki was successful and received funding from the Right Democracy and Inclusion Fund in 2006, a basket fund established by different countries to help women in political parties for their inclusion and capacity-building. Through that project, Karki organized a series of training to 575 women leaders from district to grassroots level in all five development regions on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), UN Resolution 1325, and many other women's rights conventions. She said, "One leader should be perfect in everything so we trained women politicians to speak in different languages and to present themselves smartly in public programs."

Karki organized English language and computer training for members of the Constituent Assembly. Her project 'Women in Politics' ended in December 2008 with an extra three months added later. She is now developing a center in her office known as the 'Women Resource Center for Politics and Policy Advocacy'.

"Though our project has ended, our mission is still going on," Karki said, adding that she would continue the project in a massive way. "We taught them smart speaking. We helped them build their capacity and advocated with the political parties that they should give the opportunities." She collected around 61,000 signatures which she presented to various political parties. During their district programs, the group provided training to women politicians for three days. On the fourth day leaders from political parties were called to attend with the aim to sensitize them with respect to the issue of women's participation in their parties. In Dailekh, women politicians submitted a memorandum to their senior male leaders to include women in the Peace Committee in their districts to practice a 33 per cent reservation of seats.

"We have already started to work in a network in South Asian Region from national level," she said. At the general convention of the CPN (UML) which was held in Butwal in March 2009, they appealed to make women's participation in party leadership 33 percent. "In such a way, we are not only training women politicians, but also advocating with political parties to provide them opportunities," she said.

Karki is now planning to expand Jagaran Nepal. While conducting her activities she was elected a central member of the NGO Federation, through which she has been working as a national leader. She also established a women's department in the NGO Federation, where she was elected chief of that department. She advocated that a department devoted to women should be established in all 75 district offices of the NGO Federation. She was also made secretary of the NGO Federation in an election which takes place every three years. 

Through the NGO Federation Karki had the chance to meet and have discussions with senior leaders of political parties. She said the patriarchal structure of Nepali society was women's greatest enemy, giving priority to men and leaving women behind. She believes through forming adequate policies and programs it is possible to elicit change in social structure and people's mindset.

Karki is lucky to have a supportive family environment. Thanks to this support, she can spend more time on her organization. "I don't remember a single Saturday when I was on leave," she said. Despite having children she never missed a meeting, and rather kept her own milk refrigerated for her baby as she was too busy to breastfeed.

Karki wanted to do her doctorate but was unable due to the 2006 political change. "We were quite sure that the feudal system was finally abolished after dissolution of a monarchy. But when formation of the new constitution drafting committee was declared in June 2006, we were very much surprised because no woman was included in the committee. I will never forget this moment," she said. Her organization and many other women activists came to the streets to protest. They sat in front of Singha Durbar where most government offices are based for four consecutive days. While carrying out protests Karki and other women activists were arrested by police and held in detention for two hours. "My conclusion was that the revolution for the rights of women is not enough so far," she said.

Due to the introduction of the proportionate election system, the number of women members in the Constituent Assembly increased tremendously; yet there remain very few women leaders in decision-making bodies of political parties. "I believe that one should get involved in a certain field only after having leadership quality. I don't want women to be undermined due to the lack of professionalism in her work," she said.

 "We have achieved a lot in terms of ensuring women's rights but we are still far away from 'equal rights'. We cannot find a solution by staying outside politics; therefore we should be in touch with politics to bring the desired changes." Karki said she will remain devoted to women's activism in future. "If I myself entered into politics I would be able to influence only limited people, but if I could change the mindset of women politicians and send them in the Constituent Assembly the impact would be more fruitful," she said.

She believes women can do little in isolation as society is made up of men and women. Without supporting each other, success is impossible.

According to Karki, CA members should prepare a pro-poor, human rights-oriented and women-friendly constitution, and that everyone should rise above the peace process and involve themselves in development works. "I still have so many hopes. We are already late, so let's not waste time," she declared.

Written by Kokila Khadka K.C.