The Week’s Nistha Rayamajhi talked to the enigmatic lady to know more about her social, legal and political ventures as well as her vision for Sajha Prakashan.[break]
Bijay Gajmer
How did you start advocating women’s rights?
From my schooldays, I noticed that even though girls had to face all kinds of problems and discriminations, the concept that prevailed was that girls shouldn’t be educated, and people even created obstacles for those who wanted to study, and perhaps that particular discrimination led to my desire to fight for women’s rights. I went on to pursue LLB which gave me legal insights to support the cause more. In the villages, there’s no one to look after women’s cases and the lawyers who look into it charge more but still lose the cases intentionally. So keeping those things in mind, I had also opened a legal firm for women so that those who couldn’t afford to pay exorbitant fees could still get legal support.[break]
How difficult was it working for women’s issues in our country?
People at first were against me and said that I was harming my family’s reputation by advocating women’s rights so strongly and openly. But I had always been determined and continued working for it. In my community, there were many suppressed women who couldn’t fight for their rights and I figured, coming from a privileged background, at least I was in a place where I could do something for them. A child’s first teacher is her mother and that’s why I believe women should be educated, and though it’s difficult advocating women’s rights in our country, I shall continue doing it.
What made you get involved in politics?
During my career, I came to the stark realization that women were being exploited in various ways. Mostly in labor work, women had to work even harder than men but double their labor wages was given to men. Even if women were educated, men were given preference. So I always had a dream of opening an industry to provide employment opportunities to women. My father, who was a politician, told me that no matter how big an industry I opened, there was a huge population of women who were jobless and it wouldn’t be possible to include them all. He told me that unless women reached decision-making level, things wouldn’t change. Almost as an epiphany, I understood that I would have to get involved in politics.
What do you think is the status of women in politics and in general?
They say that there should be 33 percent women’s representation but there’s hardly any participation of women in the ministerial Cabinet. Unless separate seats are allotted for women, and there’s enough representation, it’ll be difficult to make their voices heard. Also, till now, we haven’t had a women prime minister in the country. That in itself says a lot. In the case of the Madhesh community, women are still not that educated. If they want to do something, there’s not much they can actually do. Even in the political sector, in decision- and policymaking, women are still undermined and not given enough opportunities. There should be proper formulation of policies in favor of women and only then will things look up.
How do you think can women be empowered?
I believe in empowering women because that’s the only way they’ll be able to rise in society. Economic independence is very important for empowerment. In 1999, I opened an NGO called “Women Empowerment Centre” with its central office in Saptari. We provided women with various skills-enhancing trainings and also provided them with sewing machines so that they could learn the craft of stitching and making clothes. The NGO was involved in a lot of income-generating programs. These kinds of programs are very important in our country, as a lot of women are uneducated, and through vocational training, they can still earn their living and become confident individuals.
What made you shift to Sajha Prakashan to fill in as its General Manager?
Since my early childhood, I was influenced by my mother to read and respect writers as she was a voracious reader and used to write as well. So I was very happy to join Sajha Prakashan since it’s a litterateur’s organization. Many had advised me against joining because the situation of the organization was deteriorating. But that made me even more curious and I took it as a challenge. I have always respected litterateurs, and I believe that if there’s no literature, there’s no language, and if there’s no language, there’s no identity, either. I also believe that the stronger the literature of a country is, the more the chances of the country being recognized.
What kinds of challenges have you had to face in this field?
Even now, I see that our male counterparts don’t like it if women are holders of reputed positions. There’s a clash of egos which is why there are many problems. I firmly believe that if a man has done the same work a woman has done, he’s acknowledged way more. There’s hardly any support for women in top positions and many men even find it offending to work under a woman. This mindset of our patriarchal society to think highly of men only is what brings about numerous challenges for women, and it’s the same for me.
In an era of self-publishing and the sprouting of numerous publication houses, how does Sajha Prakashan sustain itself?
First and foremost, Sajha Prakashan isn’t a business house but a service-oriented organization which is running in its 100th year. Its history makes it evident that Sajha Prakashan has been promoting literature, culture and art. When we publish a literary book, the author doesn’t have to spend a single paisa out of his pocket. After the publication, 20 percent royalty is given to the authors and this continues for the next 50 years. Sajha Prakashan that way has been different from other publication houses.
What’s in store for Sajha Prakashan and its literary scene in the future under your leadership?
I’m hoping to take Sajha Prakashan to an international level. Our authors and Nepali literature have the caliber to get worldwide recognition. I’ve seen that in developed countries, writers enjoy the benefits of certain pay scales and facilities from the government but that isn’t the case in our country. Our authors also have the capability to win prestigious awards but unfortunately it’s just that they aren’t getting the right platform or the incentives. Sajha Prakashan is planning to promote good writers and will make sure their works are recognized.
nistha.rayamajhi11@gmail.com
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