A few years back, women of Tharu community in the far western region of Nepal were without exception housewives and were confined to cooking, washing dishes, gazing cattle on top of childbearing and breeding.
The times are changing, however, as Tharu women of this region have asserted themselves and are slowly being empowered. Some of them are now self-employed, doing odd jobs in order to earn and help in running their families.
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| Me in Tharu women' attire during trip to Kailali, Far-western region |
Most of these women are no longer content with just being plain housewives waiting for their husbands to come home at sundown after toiling in the fields the whole day.
This week, 42-year-old Nirama Chaudhary was seen selling the hand-made jute items such as purses, bags, hats, pen-stands, interior decorative items, baskets and similar items in a fair in Dhangadi of Kailali District, some 500 kilometers from the capital Kathmandu.
Jute, the main raw material for their products, is abundant in their locality.
Chaudhary and 24 other women have formed themselves into a group called 'Tharu Women Forum' consisting of women weavers, aged 22 to 50. The group meets six days a week to weave decorative items. They do the planning, designing, knitting, weaving, lacing and coloring of their products.
The Tharu people are an ethnic indigenous group living in the plains of Terai region. They have their own distinct language, tradition, culture and life-style. According to 2011 census, 6.6 percent of the 27 million total population of Nepal is from the Tharu community.
Mahato, a mother of two and a member of the Tharu Women Forum, said that their husbands fully supported them in their cottage industry. "We have flexible time and we can still attend to the needs of our husbands and children," Mahato said.
Since it is a collective effort, the women share in the capital as well as the earnings from the sales of their products.
The members are satisfied with their little business despite having no support from the government.
"We earn around Rs 6-7000 monthly, depending on the demand for our products. The money is of great help to us because we can use it to buy school supplies and household items," Indu Chaudhary, a local weaver, said.
Among the five development regions of Nepal, the far west region, comprising of nine districts, is regarded as the most laid- back and underdeveloped because it lacks infrastructure, health and education facilities.
In Kailali District, there is a dominance of Tharu people, mostly Ranas and Kathoriyas with Rajput origin.
Published in Xinhua, December 17, 2014
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