Kamala Sarup: Hope And Freedom For Women

Media have been reporting on the violence against women. Victimized women due to poverty, illiteracy, and social exclusion do not have the capacity to seek justice without help. The increase in the violence have also been correlated with the increase in violence against women. Women seem to be punching bags for those who have been deprived, harassed, and frustrated by the violent activities.

There were also report in the media of women and young women being socially targeted because the arms groups had forcefully taken them away for days and weeks for indoctrinations and other programmes, and then sent them back.

General lawlessness have also increased rape of women, in the society as a whole like in Nepal, because the police are so diverted with ethnic and Maoist violence that they have tended to ignore civil crimes. And of course, the media have reported many incidents of rape by combatants.

I am observing new development for women very closely and it seems that the biggest challenge right now is to convince international community that women are not ready to tolerate certain violence in daily basis. I strongly support and believe in democracy and nothing is precious then liberty and that our fundamental human rights are respected but it is only achieved practically through prosperous economy, revolutionary changes in terms of education, women,and empowerment, health-care and development to enhance the overall quality of living of women in the country.

I truly believe that women will support restoring peace, human rights and freedom and the law and order and system is in effect in the nation.

The news and opinions about the women discrimination, violence, rape, trafficking, corruption, Counter opinions are to be found in the news every-day.

When violence is in full swing, the women and the people which are the medium of development, and when politics operate as partisan advocates, they cannot be treated, considered, or respected. Women and people's respect goes only to those that adhere to true freedom ethics.

One rumour is that, the violent gangs are going to come-out strong. Also there is a rumour of National strike for seven days called by the violent groups. All this, however is not to belittle the gravity and seriousness of the situation. Situation are as bad as they were in the past 20 or 25 years.

Women know that a strong political will, undistributed and unwavering effort to address the violence is required for peace to be restored. Women are disenchanted from the country's violent politics.

Women in the street have lost interest in conceptual and theoretical semantics of violent politics. Advocates of various ideologies has been discerned by most in this country. Such attitude is most prominent among those who are from the districts,who have suffered in the last decade of the violence.

Hundred of questions remain to be answered, before women can hope to have a complete peace and justice. Many women have gone to foreign countries because life in their own country have been disrupted. Those women, calling themselves nationalists democrats do not have a chance in their own country.

Clash between the different violent groups or terrorism and that of various political parties have shown that the peace with just slogans of various concepts will make general women take wrong decisions for the worst. but on the other hand, violent group's urban entry efforts are on-going, change for good, wonderful or bad, worse, or worst is being decided by time.

Some women have begun to be apprehensive that now even those in the secure urban centres may have to suffer like those in the villages had suffered in the past decade and years.

In spite of reports of continued extortion, kidnapping, threats, and sporadic conflicts a sense of ease is discerned in Africa to Asia, Europe to America. Women have been adversely affected for quite some time, so to us its as it used to be. Price rise, due to transport disruptions, and closure of markets, closure of schools disrupting education of children etc etc rising unemployment and laying off of workers in the tourism sector is going on. And so has the crime rates.

Suffice it to say in this time women, have finally begun to "DO" things, rather making wishful speeches and expecting others to do things in our favour. In this sense, this time has made all of us a little more responsible.

Nepali Journalist and Story Writer Kamala Sarup is an editor of peacejournalism.com. She is specialising in in-depth reporting and writing on Peace, Anti War, Women, Terrorism, Democracy, and Development. Some of her publications are: Women's Empowerment in(South Asia, Nepal)Booklet). Prevention of trafficking in women through media,(Book) Efforts to Prevent Trafficking in for Media Activism (Media research). Two Stories collections. Her interests include international conflict resolution, cross-cultural communication, philosophy, feminism, political, socio-economic and literature. Her current plans are to move on to humanitarian work in conflict areas in the near future. She also is experienced in organizational and community development. A meeting of jury members held on 21 March in Geneva has decided to attribute Kamala Sarup, with a Honorable Mention of International Award for Women Issue.

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