Women in Nepal have resisted oppression for decades, both through personal acts of defiance as well as participation in creative expressions of protest. Nirvana Bhandary in conversation with Bhawana Raut and Kailash Rai about their passion for activism, the nuances of feminism within the country and their vision for a more equitable future.
The feminist movement in Nepal is dynamic, diverse, and rooted in both individual and collective struggles. Since the establishment of the Nari Samiti - Nepal's first women’s rights organisation in 1918, progress has been both gradual and inspiring. Over the last three decades, concerted efforts have focused on reducing gender-based violence, dismantling menstrual taboos, and ensuring access to safe reproductive health services for women. A significant milestone was achieved in 2015 when Nepal elected its first female president.
While Nepal’s protest culture may not be as visible on the global stage as larger countries more fraught with political tensions, grassroots activism is meaningful and worthy of recognition. Feminist resistance does not always take the form of public marches or rallies but can also be found in everyday acts of defiance. For many Nepali women, the very act of realizing their oppression and deciding to resist is a significant feminist and class awakening.
In this piece, I speak with two women whose voices have contributed significantly to the feminist movement about their passion for activism, the nuances of feminism within the country and their vision for a more equitable future.
Bhawana Raut is a 25-year-old social activist and political campaigner from Jhapa District. She has led various social justice initiatives including movements against gender-based violence and is active in community mobilisation. Bhawana is passionate about the political participation of women and youth empowerment.
Kailash Rai is a 42-year-old feminist researcher, writer and mentor belonging to the Rai Indigenous community from Bhojpur. She is the author of the book Indigenous Women’s Institution, Movement and Writings and the editor of In Search of Identity: Indigenous Women’s Social, Cultural and Political Context. Kailash is vice-chair of Martin Chautari - a think tank organisation, and co-founder of ‘Indigenous Without Borders’.
What drives you to engage in feminist activism?
Bhawana: Seeing first-hand how women are side-lined in Nepali politics inspired me to become a feminist activist. Political parties often only give women election tickets to meet the 33 percent quota requirement. For many women, justice still feels like a dream that is always out of reach. This gap in representation and imbalance in who gets to shape our laws and our future - that is what fuels my activism. Through my nine years of street activism, I have pushed hard for changes, and I am proud to say I have helped to get two laws reformed, including the repeal of the one-year time limitation to report sexual assault. For me, the ultimate goal is to pave the way for more women to shape policies from within, not as tokens, but as equals.
Kailash: I became inclined towards this field to process my lived experiences. In the Indigenous community I belong to, called Rai, there are privileges but also many stages of marginalisation. When we talk about Nepali women, there are two dominant narratives – one is that we are oppressed and exploited, but with Indigenous women, there is a narrative that they are outspoken, fearless and don’t have a concept of gender.
It was only when I moved to the capital Kathmandu, aged fourteen, that I started questioning the cultural dominance and reflecting on the fact that I am an Indigenous woman. I felt like an outsider in many spaces due to my cultural practices and was only slowly able to connect my experiences in order to realise the importance of intersectionality. To further my education, I started reading feminist texts written by women from different countries who were able to connect their lived experiences with systemic issues, and my first research focused on the social movement led by Indigenous women in Nepal.
What is your experience within feminist protest culture in Nepal?
Bhawana: My feminist activism has been rooted in challenging the structures that continually suppress women's rights and agency in Nepal. Over the years, I have had the privilege of leading and supporting multiple movements that aim to confront these injustices. One pivotal initiative was Save Nirmala, which focuses on creating awareness about gender-based violence. With #ajhaikatisahane(How Much More Should We Tolerate?), we have pushed for greater awareness of gender-based violence across all levels of society, from grassroots activism to legislative engagement. In this spirit, Balatkari Hos Ta (The Rapist is You) adapted the global feminist chant A Rapist in Your Path from Chile, highlighting how deeply ingrained patriarchal values are in our laws and governance. This flash-mob was a direct challenge to a culture that too often blames victims rather than addressing the roots of violence. These movements and protests have been deeply personal for me; they reflect my commitment to challenging oppressive systems and creating space for women to shape their futures.
Kailash: I started becoming involved in feminist activism during the Loktantra Andolan (Second People’s Movement) of 2006. I would go to the office and then straight to the site of the protests, stay there all night, sing and dance, and then go to work again in the morning. That was the environment back then. However, that ideological clarity that “I am a feminist” had not yet developed. I knew that I was from a marginalised community and that I cared about the issues that affect women however, I had not reached the self-awareness that I am an intersectional feminist. As I attended more of these protests and events, it helped me understand all this. I grew up surrounded by both people in the activist space and those in the academic space, and I realised I am more of a researcher. However, those who are able to give my research more input and nuance are activists.
What challenges and changes have you seen within the movement over the years?
Bhawana: I started this work when I was just 16, so it has been nine years now, and I have seen a lot of change. Activism in Nepal has grown, especially with social media helping us raise awareness but compared to other countries, we still have a long way to go. We are making progress, but it often feels slow, and big issues like equal representation in politics and women’s rights to live free from violence still face real challenges.
I have faced quite a few challenges, including relentless online hate, which can be exhausting and overwhelming. There is also a big generational gap between lawmakers and the youth; it can feel like we are speaking different languages when it comes to issues like equality and bodily autonomy. One of the biggest challenges is that society still is not fully ready to accept that women have the right to make their own choices and control their own bodies. Deep-rooted cultural norms and traditional mindsets often mean that ideas about women’s independence and self-determination are met with resistance or backlash.
Kailash: A positive step that I have seen in the last 18 years is greater multi-generational and culturally inclusive participation. There are now many more diverse and marginalised communities within activism; not just in street protests but in various spaces including conferences, academia, and journalism. At least three generations of feminists are now working together whereas in 2006 it was just the first generation of active feminists. We only saw their faces and heard their voices. There is now a recognition that the traditional idea of leadership must be dismantled.
In terms of challenges, Indigenous women face multiple structural barriers within the feminist sector in Nepal. We have different ideologies, philosophies and behaviours from the mainstream movement and the Hinduised culture often erases indigenous wisdom and knowledge. We must examine - “How do we re-indigenise ourselves within the existing structure?”
What is the vision you have for feminist progress in Nepal?
Bhawana: My vision is a society where women can make choices freely and safely, without fear of judgement or restriction. I hope to see true equality reflected not just in laws but also in everyday life, where women have a real voice in decision-making at every level. Ultimately, I want a Nepal where future generations of women can thrive and are empowered to shape their futures.
Kailash: My feminist vision for the future is for diverse communities to come together with their issues and find innovative ideas to solve them. We need intergenerational leadership that includes Dalit and Indigenous women, and where all leaders have equal status regardless of their ethnic or caste background.
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Nepali women have resisted oppression for decades, both through personal acts of defiance as well as participation in creative expressions of protest. Bhawana and Kailash’s perspectives add to a collective vision of empowerment within Nepal’s feminist movement and allow us to gather strength and solidarity for a protest culture that has evolved in our millennial era. To ensure continued progress, we must amplify the voices of Nepali women in every sphere. We must demand increased representation in policymaking, while simultaneously supporting grassroots movements. Moving forward, we must foster a culture of intersectional feminism that not only celebrates diverse identities but also actively dismantles systems of oppression.
