Opening ceremony of President Women Empowerment

Back ground:

The national level program for women Empowerment through skill development was organized my Ministry of women children and Social welfare. Present had proposed to launch the program from Kapilvastu District at the occasion of 8th March. Regarding the president’s plan, the ministry had circulated the launching plan to Women and Children Development Office Kapilvastu. It was President Women Empowerment program through skill development for 35 girls and women of 18 to 24 year’s age group in each district of Nepal.Objective of the program and rational of launching from Kapilvastu District The main objective of the program was to launch the women Empowerment program through skill development. As Kapivastu is still back from infrastructures and social development, conflict victims ‘are still back from economic empowerment, women and girls are suffering from child marriage and dowry system, she did choice to inaugurate the program from this district. Regarding the decision of the president the ministry did formal decision and circulated the opening plan to Kapilvastu district.

Outline of the program was scheduled from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM. But it started at 2 PM after the arrival of the president. Members of Parliament, government officials and representatives from different sectors set a line with wreath of flowers to welcome the president. As soon as she arrived on the ground they did welcome to her in as quite setup up. The inauguration program was done in the presidency of Kumar Khadaka; Minister of women children and social welfare. The president; Bidhya devi Bhandary was the chief guest of the program who formally inaugurated the women empowerment program with lightening the Panas (Panas- a pot with oil to make light).Atahar Kamal, Member of Parliament delivered welcome speech to the president and all guest and thanked all for their support to manage the program. The president expressed the opening remarks and addressed to the people. She congratulated the women of the nation for being at the hand of International women Day 2017.She expressed that Kapilvastu district is back for social and economic development therefore she had focused the program to launch from there. She expected the better result of economic development of women though the amount of the women empowerment program is small. The closing remark was made by Kumar Khadaka; Minister of women children and social welfare. He thanked all the government authorities for their well management and making stall of skill development for women empowerment. He also expressed that the women empowerment program will bring a fruitful result thought it was designed for short term.

The program was formally started with the national anthem as soon as the president arrived at the main venue.The peacock dance was the component of the program to make fun and enjoy.The drama presented by Budhha Play team of Tipping point supported by Care Nepal and DSDC was the main attraction of the program. The street drama was presented just after welcome speech. The main contents of the street play was the harmful practices done towards women in Terai culture of Nepal such as child marriage, women violence, harmful practices at the time of pregnancy, no medical treatment in time, delivery system at home for child birth. The play was powerful to make people realize the harmful deeds towards women.

The play starts from happy moment of a family. The setting of the play was the popular festival called Chhatha in to which all family and people of society feel happy. They enjoy with song s and dance at the beginning. But just after festival the main character; Sadhana (a girls of 14 years) appears with reading her book in her home. As there was lots of work to do at home her father and mother appear there creating her pressure for household works. They marry her in small age with lots of dowry and send her to live with her husband. She becomes pregnant in small age. As there was huge pressure of works by her father in law and mother in law at her home she becomes weak. One day Sadhana;s father in law and mother in law blamed her for not doing the household works in time. They called their son called Chulhai, the main boy character with voice of abuse as his wife (Sadhana) had not completed the works. He beats to Sadhana cruelly. Due to his beating Sadhana gets pain at her womb and cries for medical treatment. She cries a lot and requests her mother in law for treatment. But they take it normally and do not take her to hospital. Later on the new bride (Sadhana) dies due to the effect of beating and womb pain. After her death her father, mother gets the message. They go there weeping and crying. All they realize their deeds. They felt it was because of child marriage. Thus, the play that starts with happy moment ends with death and tragic situation because of child marriage. There were 14 characters played the role in the drama. Drama team1 Pooja yadav -Mother of bride2 Santaram Pasi- Father of girls, bride3 Rajendra Chaudhary- Father of bride groom4 Surajmati Pasi- Mother of bride groom5 Dhiraj Chauhan- Bride groom6 Antkit Yadav- Theresher7 Jaglal Kori- SInger + messenger8 Prasuram Harijan- Thresher + Wooden machine for making rice ( dhiki)9 Dhana Chaudhary- Singer10 Deepa Shreshtha- Brides 11 Anjani Harijan- Girl student and later bride12 Urmila Pasi- Mother in law13 Sandeep Pasi- Threshers14 Prativa Shrivastav- Threshers The views and feedbacks for drama show:Shanti Devi Harijan ; Member of Parliament from Kapilvastu district : It was dram but real happening of day today life in Madhesi culture. It has suggested people not to marry their children in small age and for regular check up of pregnant women. It is helpful for uprooting the superstitious feeling of society. I suggest you to show in each village. It will be more helpful if you add the legal provision against child marriage.Kunti Pasi, Leader of Nepali congress Kapilvastu: The drama has the message against child marriage and dowry system. It guides us to be safe with medical treatment.Laxmi Thakur; Member of President Women Empowerment program: The drama has sketched the social scenario. DE, Naresh Kumar Chapagain (Announcer of the program): The drama team had strong presentation.

Please nationalize the team.Pushpa Gegmi; Coordinator of women Human right network Kapilvastu: The drama touched my heart. I could not stop myself from weeping at the time of bride’s cry and her death. The bride died because of husband’s beating not because of pregnancy. Please include other character to call police at the time of beating.Gyanu Paudel, President of NAMUNA Rupandehi: The drama was excellent. Please make short the role of weeping.

Madhuri Shreshta, Leader and Social worker, vice president of women coordination committee at DDC Kapilvastu: I heartily thank you all DSDC team for presentation of the drama. It focuses us that victim women need to take hospital.Rukai Khatun, representative of Search for common ground: You have excellent team. It has shown the situation of our society.There were about 1500 people gathered in the program, (1000 women and 500 men). After the r frequent management meeting main organizing committee and subcommittee. INGOS/NGOs had supported for the management of the program. There were about 100 volunteers in the program assisting for well management and controlling the mass. DSDC has got role of 5 volunteers. Mrs. Karuna Thapa ; adolescent Empower Specialist of Care Nepal was present for two days ( 6th and 7th March) . She assisted the drama team to prepare the script and make them ready for role play.Name of volunteers from DSDC; Tipping Point1 Govinda Dhawal, PO2, Bishram Kori, FS3 Laggan Harijan, SM4 Sachharam Harijan SM5 Sarsawati, Sharma SMThe program venue was full of security system, media people volunteers in the visibility of T-shirt prepared by president women empowerment program.