Women rule the roost in these Bardiya wards
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KATHMANDU, MAR 09 -
The women are the bosses in Ward Nos. 4 and 5 of Sorahawa VDC in Bardiya district. It is up to them to whether allow their husbands and other male members of the society to drink or gamble.
In a bid to cut down on drinking and gambling among the male members of the community, the women of these two wards came up with a novel idea in 2009 of slapping monetary fines on those indulging in the act.
“It was certainly not an easy task,” Krishna Khatri said, “but together we did it.”
Today, ‘Jutela Kakchhya’ (which roughly translates into a ‘unified class’), a council of women representing the two wards, is in charge of overseeing and supervising the regulations on alcohol consumption and gambling.
Khatri, who is the facilitator of the ‘Jutela Kakchhya,’ said a majority of the adult males and some teenagers were into drinking and gambling before the regulation was introduced. While they indulged in the habits, women had to slog in the house as well as in the farms.
Khatri said cases of domestic violence had also gone up. “Not anymore,” she said. “Things are peaceful now and we, women, have no problem with the male members of our community.”
Whenever someone is caught drinking or gambling, the women in the village led by Jutela Kakchhya members immediately take action against him.
The fine for gambling could go up to Rs. 3,000, and even the one hosting the game and the onlookers are not spared.
Much severe is the punishment for those found drinking. Apart from a fine of Rs. 3,000, the boozer is paraded around the village in female costumes.
Rajumaridi Tharu remembers how the male members of the community scoffed the campaign. “It took a while for them to understand that we meant business,” she said. Ram Lautan Chaudhary said he has learned to appreciate the steps taken by the women. “I witnessed a social transformation after the regulations were put in place. Very few people dare to drink these days and if they do they go outside the village.”
Jutela Kakchhya, however, relaxes its rules during major festivals.
Posted on: 2011-03-09 08:45
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