It is that time of the year when gender issues make headlines; rallies, seminars and workshops advocating women empowerment take peak; and women all over are celebrated. As the world prepares to celebrate International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8, we talked to six women successful in their respective fields, about the hurdles they’ve crossed and how with the power of passion and hard work they’ve managed to somehow break the glass ceiling.
Their experiences echo what Canadian feminist Charlotte Whitton once said: “Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good.” “Luckily,” as these women have proven it, “This is not difficult.”
Malvika Subba, Media Personality
Her strong personality coupled with friendly, articulate manner in which she meets everyone is perhaps the first thing people notice about her. She works hard and her achievements are many, but what she is most proud of is her association with Himalayan Climate Initiative's Hamri Bahini campaign. Through the campaign, they worked to ban the use of plastic bags, and employed more than 200 women who've now opened a shop to sell handicraft products.
Impending motherhood is her biggest personal achievement. "I always thought I'd be a mother only after turning 40," she says. One can still see her actively working even in her third trimester of pregnancy which she feels is nothing new. "Women do it all over the world, and as long as we're safe and healthy, it is okay."
But ask her about gender discrimination and she acknowledges that even she has faced it countless times over the course of her life and career. "It exists," she says firmly, "There are hardly any women in top management posts in the media. We're not given any opportunities, and when we are, there's the question of getting equal pay and compensation. I've fought over it. Nowadays, I'm paid more than my male counterparts. Sometimes."
And gender discrimination in her personal life has more to do with the culture, she believes. Daughters should come home on time, she was told by her family. Daughters-in-law should do the household chores. "But I fought against it. I was never one to tolerate discrimination in any form," she says.
Indira Joshi, Singer
Back in 2005, in the first season of Nepali Tara, Indira Joshi as a young participant won the hearts of judges and audiences even though she didn’t win the title. Today, over a decade later, she’s recognized as one of the most accomplished singers of the country. The ‘Rato Ghangara’ and ‘Udhreko Choli’ hit maker who is also admired for her dancing skills and is often referred to as “Nepali Shakira,” credits her success to her passion which “constantly drives me.”
But the road to success for her wasn’t a cake walk. For four years after she took her first step into making a career in music, she had to fight with her own family. “When I sang and danced as a young girl, everyone applauded and encouraged me to do better. But when I decided to make a career out of it, no one was happy. I, like many girls in our country, was taught that women are supposed to dress a certain way, laugh a certain way, walk a certain way…do everything a certain way. But I was intelligent enough to rebel and not give in to these codes of conduct that made no sense to me,” she shares. Today, her family is her biggest support system.
A firm believer in the power of education to end all forms of discrimination, Indira says that young women need to let go of their inhibitions and chase their dreams. “If you spend your energy thinking about what people will think about you, you can never go ahead in life,” she says.
While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be th...
Reecha Sharma, Actor
Reecha Sharma is a versatile actor who’s made a name for herself with her pick of film roles. People will remember her varied works in ‘Uma’ where she played a Maoist combatant, the glamorous woman in ‘Visa Girl’ and most recently, in a completely different avatar as a mother in ‘Ko Afno.’ Carving a niche for herself as an experimental and versatile actor was a conscious effort on her part, says the actor. “I have this particular image as an actor that I’ve worked hard to build and maintain. I always wanted to do meaningful cinema with outstanding characters, and it’s my reward that people love what I do,” she says.
But despite being one of the most talented actors in the industry, she has faced discrimination as a woman. She explains, “It usually occurs when it is a matter of money. Male actors are always better paid than female actors. The way I see it is that if my role is not long enough or it doesn’t require a lot of commitment on my part then I don’t have anything to complain about. It’s a different story if I’m putting in equal effort and time. Then I always make a point to put my feelings across to the concerned party.”
To young women who dream about entering the film industry, Reecha suggests them to look beyond the glittery façade. “You have to be really sure about wanting this. Because you need to have a lot of knowledge about this sector if you want to leave a mark. There will be discouragement, rejection, and failure, however temporarily, so you need to be prepared.”
Nima Gharti Magar, Wushu Gold
Medalist at the South Asian Games 2016
Last month, the 16-year-old brought home the gold medal for Wushu from the 2016 South Asian Games (SAG) held in India. This was the first gold from SAG 2016. The Class 10 student is now busy preparing for her SLC examinations. “My gurus have told me to come back for training after my exams are over. I do practice for a little bit at home every day,” Nima says.
Looking back on her SAG win, the soft-spoken girl says that though she went with the attitude to win, she was more concerned with doing her best and enjoying herself in the process. The faith of her gurus was a huge morale booster. In fact, her gurus and seniors at the club where she trains have always encouraged her and never shown her any kind of bias or discrimination. She says, “They’ve always pushed me to work as hard as anyone else, and taught me good techniques.”
Most of her girl friends are not interested in sports at all. “Well, I do tell them how beneficial playing sports is but they don’t listen to me,” she says, sighing. Nima, however, will definitely continue playing Wushu. “I don’t see any scope of the game here, unlike in other countries,” she says, matter-of-factly, “But I would like to change all that.”
Sophie Sunuwar, Make-up Artist
She has no qualms about being a woman. “I was born a male and I felt trapped in my own body forever until 10 years back when I finally transformed myself to look like a woman. That was the most liberating feeling ever, and for that feeling alone, I will never have any complaints about being a woman,” says Sophie Gurung, the official make-up artist of the much coveted Miss Nepal pageant this year. However, having said that, she does realize that being a woman comes with its own set of challenges. Women working in the glamour industry face more of the society’s scorn than others. “We dress up, we put on make-up, and more often than not, we work late. These are reasons enough for people to ‘assume’ our character,” she says.
While the rights of women and LGBTI community have found their place in the Constitution, Sophie believes it will do nothing to empower them until and unless our society becomes more accepting. “Only education can make that happen,” she says giving examples of the young Miss Nepal aspirants this year who are “bold, brave and confident.” When asked if she has any advice for women in general, she repeats her mantra: “You can do it.”
Kunjana Ghimire, Actor/Social Activist
Kunjana Ghimire, popularly known as Suntali after her role in ‘Meri Bassai,’ has come a long way from being a naïve wannabe actor who entered the industry in 2002 to being one of the most socially responsible actors winning millions of hearts and spreading happiness. “There was no one in my family with a filmy background, and I only knew I wanted to pursue acting and dance onscreen,” she reminisces. Much appreciated and admired by Nepalis all over for the philanthropic works she has been doing along with her actor husband Sitaram Kattel post the April 2015 earthquake, Kunjana believes that there’s nothing a woman can’t do.
From having to constantly convince her parents that she wasn’t doing anything wrong by pursuing acting in her struggling days, to bearing the pain of leaving behind her two-year-old daughter Subihani every now and then to fulfill her present professional commitments, one thing or the other always comes up, she says, no matter where on the success graph you are.
“The key is to find the right balance; if you’re married, like me, find the balance together with your partner. As a woman, you need to be more assertive. And no matter what, never stop following your dreams.” To young Nepali women all set to pursue their dreams, she suggests, “The competition is really high. So don’t shy away from working extra hard.”
