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Widows in The incentive was announced
in the government's annual budget earlier this week - it is a lump sum of
50,000 Nepali rupees ($641). But human rights groups in "It's totally
wrong," says Lily Thapa, founder of Women for Human Rights. "Widows will not be
empowered by getting remarried," she says. Women for Human Rights
represents Nepali widows and has officially lodged a protest with the
government asking it to rethink its policy. Ms Thapa says she is
encouraged by the government's recognition of the plight of widows but
emphasises that this policy could do more harm than good.
She is urging the
government to provide social security payments, health care and education to
the women, who have a low status in traditional Nepalese society. 'Humiliation' Widows like 29-year-old
Nisha Swar, whose husband was killed by Maoist fighters six years ago, say
the policy of offering payment for remarriage could lead to discrimination. "Men could want to be
with us for the sake of getting the 50,000 rupees. It is like putting a price
tag on our head and we are very humiliated by this," she says. Her friend, 30-year-old
widow Poonam Pathak, agrees. "I feel embarrassed
because now anybody walking on the road could say, look, there's a widow! I
could get 50,000 rupees if I married her," she says. Widows over the age of 60
years are already given a pension by the Nepalese government. But Women for Human Rights
is calling on the government to extend this payment to all widows.
"Our research
indicates that most widows are still young and they need help because they
have small children and they need money to pay school fees and take care of
them," says Ms Thapa. Many women in This brought an end to the
traditional system of monarchy and propelled Maoist rebels into power. Campaigners are also asking
the government to protect girls who are forced into marriage when they reach
puberty, and who are then widowed young by disease or accidents. Traditional custom This traditional Hindu
practice is common in the low-lying Terai district, close to the border with As soon as a woman becomes
a widow in She is not allowed to
participate in religious ceremonies and can no longer wear red clothing -
which is considered auspicious - and jewellery. In fact, many widows are
constricted to only wearing white and often confined to the house, where they
have to take on the bulk of domestic duties. Ms Thapa, who has been
campaigning for widows' rights for 14 years, says that having a widow in your
home is considered to be a bad omen. "If you see a widow
walking on the street on your way to do some kind of special job, you have to
return immediately because it's considered bad luck to see her," she
says. Widows in 52 out of They are demanding that the
government consult them first before deciding on how to raise their status. Officials from the ministry
of finance have agreed to meet Ms Thapa and other representatives from
women's organisations to discuss the issue. |
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