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Jumla
Photos by Kiran Ambwani
Lives of the Mountain Women
of Jumla, Nepal
Jumla is a beautiful remote
mountain district of Nepal where culture has remained untouched
by modern day civilization. Unfortunately, it is also one of
the most excluded regions of the country, with limited access
to basic amenities like education, food, healthcare, land and
basic human rights. Here in the midst of western Nepal's stark
beauty, cultural heritage and diversity, there is a grinding,
hopeless poverty and dependence. The ones who suffer most are
the women because of their prescribed roles, subjugation, illiteracy
and the absence of state health services and outreach in the
district. Despite some efforts to address gender issues and improve
women's basic needs, Jumla women are still among the poorest
and the most marginalized in Nepal. Indigenous women and women
from low caste groups (Dalit) have even less access to education,
healthcare, employment and political power. In these mountain
regions of Nepal, poverty, political conflict, insufficient infrastructure,
few economic opportunities, high vulnerability to natural hazards,
degradation of the ecosystem, and the migration of men for work
all have a heavy impact on the lives of the women of Jumla.
It is encouraging to note that
teachers, health care workers, healers, human rights activists,
community leaders, reporters and managers of women's cooperatives
are conduits of social change. These inspirational women are
the future of a "new Nepal", as it emerges from 11
years of conflict and decades of monarchy, offering hope of dignity,
equality, wealth distribution, and access to basic resources.
Achieving gender equality and empowering women is of utmost necessity
for building healthier, better educated, more peaceful and prosperous
societies.
The project was made
possible with the support of the
Department
of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy
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