More than 120 representatives in local government, thanks to the LWF’s work with freed bonded laborers
Lutheran World Information – In a country with more than 450 rural municipalities, being elected as a representative in local government in Nepal may not seem like a great achievement, but not for Kausilya Damaya. In a couple of months she will mark two years since she became a member of the local council in Navadurga Rural Municipality in the mountainous western region.
She was born in 1968 into a bonded laborer (haliya) family in the village of Navadurga, in Dadeldhura District. Contact with people outside their social group was strictly forbidden. Like her peers, at the age of ten she began working for the master who owned the land on which her family toiled to earn a living. At that moment she began to understand the inequality between the peasants and the landowners.
Damaya was married off at the age of thirteen, in accordance with the frequently practiced haliya custom. Early marriage relieved a girl’s parents of responsibility and added extra labor to a young man’s family. She recalls that what followed were “extremely difficult” years of discrimination and violence. “Part of this violence took place at home, because my husband struggled with alcoholism, which is a typical addiction among men in the area.”
The LWF’s advocacy for marginalized groups
She was nearing the age of twenty when she learned about the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), one of the organizations that held meetings in the village to raise awareness about the rights of bonded laborers and other marginalized groups. She recalled that “no group can be more discriminated against than bonded-laborer women, who experience three kinds of discrimination – as Dalits, as bonded laborers, and as women.”
“The LWF’s advocacy programs really helped me strengthen my understanding of the situation and of how I could support the movement in bringing about change. It awakened in me the dream that one day I would be elected to government and stand up for the rights of my people by holding an influential position,” Damaya adds. Because of her active involvement, she was elected regional chairperson of the federation’s women’s savings and credit group at the age of 21.
“The LWF’s advocacy programs really helped me strengthen my understanding of the situation and of how I could support the movement in bringing about change. It awakened in me the dream that one day I would be elected to government and stand up for the rights of my people by holding an influential position,” Kausilya Damaya, council member of Navadurga Rural Municipality in western Nepal.
In May 2017, at the age of 49, Damaya was elected to the Navadurga local government alongside 125 other haliyas. “With all the hardships we experienced, this achievement was, for me and others, proof that hope always exists – even in the most hopeless of situations,” says Damaya.
The struggle continues
Before the Nepalese government officially abolished it in September 2008, the bonded-labor system had existed for centuries among the haliyas and other Dalits (the lowest of the low in the caste system). It was used in three ways: excessive working hours, the involvement of all family members, including children, in the work, and the never-ending debt incurred for the provision of basic needs. “This practice was, without a doubt, inhuman and an extreme violation of human rights,” said the LWF country representative, Dr. Prabin Manandhar.
Although there are differing statistics on their exact number, the International Dalit Solidarity Network indicated that the state’s decision meant freedom for approximately 20 000 haliyas.
However, Manandhar says that the criminalization of the practice has not ended the haliyas’ struggle for their rights. The process is often complicated by serious challenges, including the lack of adequate legislation for rehabilitation processes and for reaching all those affected. “Freedom can turn out to be a daunting prospect, especially for those who did not have it before and whose reintegration into society requires constant and serious support,” he adds.
The LWF continues its cooperation with the Haliya Federation, providing assistance ranging from legal documentation and civic education to support for livelihoods. “The goal is to ensure that freed haliyas fulfill their duties, while also encouraging them to communicate more closely with the rest of the community.”
Kausilya Damaya, council member of Navadurga Rural Municipality, agrees: “Yes, we are finally free, but there is still a long way to go on the road to true freedom.”
The LWF country program has supported marginalized and disadvantaged communities in Nepal since 1984. Its activities, which include training for disasters and sustainable livelihoods as well as the promotion of human rights, reach more than 83 000 people each year. In 2018, the LWF in Nepal worked with 4,355 freed haliyas, 58 percent of whom were women.
Navadurga, Nepal / Geneva
| 8./03./2019.
Photo: LWF Nepal
Main photo caption: Kausilya Damaya, council member of the local government of Navadurga Rural Municipality in western Nepal.
Source: Lutheran World Federation