 |
|||||||||||
| |||||||||||
|
back to homepage Women's Rehabilitation Center (WOREC), Nepal requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Nepal.
Women's Rehabilitation Center (WOREC) is appalled and shocked at the attack and mistreatment on the Badi Women Human Rights Defenders by the government of Nepal on 27 August, 2007 . Badi community, a small Dalit community is considered as a minority group and the most disadvantaged ethnic groups of the Nepalese society. They live in the western, mid western and far western regions of the country. The Badi women are the main bread earners of their families. The women of this community are stigmatized and disgraced by state, society and community for practicing commercial sex work as a major source of their earnings. They have strongly demanded to consider this practice as violation of their Human Rights and punish the responsible institutions and community.
The Badi Women Human Rights Defenders have denounced the violations of their human rights and exploitation of their sexuality by feudal structures of the state which is the main reason for practicing commercial sex by them. Such practice has denied Badi Women from accessing their Human Rights, Economic, Social, Cultural and Political Rights while subjecting them to exploitation, injustice and suppression at all levels that has been a regular practise for the past hundred years. In the context of changed political context, it had given hope to all the marginalized groups to express their violation of human rights to be heard and respecting, protecting and promoting their rights that remained only as lip service. However even after a turbulent one year success of People's Movement -2, the vibrant civil society, active human rights groups and upfront Dalit rights group have remained silent and largely ignored the issues related with Badi women who subsequently have been further marginalized within these political movement. On 22 August, 2007, in demanding their demands to be addressed, three dozen Women Human Rights Defenders from Badi community expressing their strength and solidarity staged protests in Singha durbar, Kathmandu. Some of their demands included rehabilitation of their sisters who have been forced to work as commercial sex workers, right to own land, representation of at least 1 female and 1 male candidate in the constituent assembly, provision of legal bodies in all levels of the government that addresses issues of racial discrimination and untouchability and legal identity to their children who are deprived of citizenship certificates. In the process of asserting their rights, the Badi Women Human Rights Defenders were severely beaten for entering the restricted areas and detained in custody.
The Badi Women have clearly stated that they are not scared with the abusive forces of power by the government and they will fight for their rights. They have appealed to the WOMEN OF NEPAL to join their movement in asserting their rights. Please find attached pictures of the struggle of the Badi Community. Women's Rehabilitation Center ( WOREC Nepal) Balkumari, Patan
|
|||||||||||
