NEPAL:Civil War's 'Half-Widows'

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KATHMANDU, Dec 31 (IPS) - Nepal's civil war has spawned a new term, 'half-widows', to describe the hundreds of women whose husbands are abducted by Maoist rebels or soldiers and remain missing, some for years.

Feb. 13, 2006 will mark a decade since the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) emerged from the country's impoverished mid-western hills to launch its first attacks against police stations and other government institutions.

The rebels now control huge swathes of territory in almost all of the country's 75 districts, where roughly 12,000 Nepalis, most of them innocent villagers caught in the crossfire, have been killed. Tens of thousands of others have fled their villages while many have been forcefully recruited by the Maoists or jailed by soldiers on suspicion of collaborating with them.

A 2004 survey, in nine districts countrywide, found that 16 percent of women were either widows or had no idea where their husband were, and had thus become half-widows.

Such women are more vulnerable in numerous ways, concludes a report by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Samanata - Institute for Social and Gender Equality.

"A lot of women are living in constant fear of death of themselves or others (or of) abduction, rape or murder, of themselves, their daughters or daughters-in-law," said Samanata's executive chairwoman, Arzu Rana- Deuba, at a discussion, Friday.

Ironically, the research also revealed that many women have become empowered because of the conflict but overall "the negative effects have more far-reaching effects than the positive ones", added Rana- Deuba. "The negative effects are totally devastating."

On Friday, Nepal's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) revealed that Maoists kidnapped 5,606 civilians during their three-month unilateral ceasefire from Sep. 3 to Dec. 3, most to attend "education" meetings. During that period, security forces killed 22 people while the rebels killed four, added the NHRC.

The Maoists have extended the ceasefire until Jan. 3 but the government led by King Gyanendra again refused to reciprocate, calling the move a ruse so the rebels can re-arm. It also dismissed a 12-point pact signed by the rebels and an alliance of political parties designed to bring the Maoists into the political mainstream.

Instead, the government is redoubling its efforts to hold municipal elections on Feb. 8, although the alliance is refusing to participate and the Maoists say they will disrupt the polls. The army has vowed to maintain security for the vote.

On Thursday, a group of mostly women villagers padlocked the NHRC's door in the capital Kathmandu demanding that commissioners push the government to reveal the whereabouts of their missing family members. Local human rights groups say the state is responsible for the continuing disappearances of 901 people and the Maoists for 290.

According to Rana-Deuba, "the removal of one wage-earner (in a family) can mean total poverty for many".

Her survey, questioned 227 individuals, 89 percent of them women. Eighty-three percent of the families had been displaced, most of them moving from villages to heavily-guarded district headquarters towns or Nepal's few large cities, says the report, 'Changing Roles of Nepali Women due to the Ongoing Conflict and its Impact'.

More than half of those questioned said they left because they feared for their own or their family's security, they feared abduction or were searching for work.

"Most had enough to meet basic needs before the conflict but not after," said Rana-Deuba. "After being affected by conflict for five years there was a steep downward slide economically".

Families adjusted by spending less money on food and other necessities, except schooling. "The last thing families are compromising on is children's education -- they value that greatly," she added.

Still, the survey found that 44 percent of children had dropped out of school and only 37 percent of those had returned. "Mostly children have become very quiet; they're serious, silent and frightened," according to Rana-Deuba.

With men absent, or in many cases too fearful to move outside the house or village, women have been forced to take on new roles in Nepal's strongly patriarchal society. Sixty percent reported they were more active in their communities, 70 percent that they were borrowing money and two-thirds of women said they played larger roles in decision-making.

Rana-Deuba told the story of one illiterate village woman, whose entire universe used to be contained in her village. Today, she travels outside the village, alone, at least once a year to maintain her family's claim on some farmland.

"Women feel they are less vulnerable to these risks then men," Rana- Deuba said quoting the woman: "They might kill the men -- I'm a woman they won't kill me."

Two-thirds of women said these new roles had boosted their confidence but 48 percent called them a "burden", the survey found.

"As well as being physically and psychologically alone," said Rana- Deuba, widows or 'half-widows' "were more vulnerable to sexual overtures".

"Sexual violence from security forces has become a new danger for women," she added.

Nepalis must start now to discuss how they will cope in the vastly changed society that will remain when peace finally comes, stressed Rana- Deuba. "There is a danger that we won't look back at the societal fallout of the conflict" but focus on rebuilding the infrastructure, she warned.

But some people continue living in the past, said Ava Darshan Shrestha, president of the NGO, Nagrik Awaz (Voices of the People). Researchers from her group met one old woman who unfailingly cooks a daily meal for her son -- although he has been missing for eight years.

"The mothers were saying 'look, we have this sharp pain in our uterus' because their sons were missing, so we termed it 'foetal bereavement'," added Shrestha.