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Naya Adhyaya - a New Chapter for Nepalese Women Street Drama for Women's Increased Participation in the Peace Process
18 April, 2008
Kathmandu - A group of young pioneering artists -
Sarwanam - with the street drama 'Naya Adhyaya'(New Chapter) is on tour thanks to UNFPA,UNIFEM and Women for Human Rights (WHR) project funded by the Danish Embassy in Kathmandu. The project aims to increase women's participation in the peace process through a series of street dramas and workshops in remote areas of Nepal, starting from Chandragodi in Jhapa on April 23. Workshops will focus on discussing key messages on women's participation, presented in the street drama, and on women's role in the ongoing Constituent Assembly process. The workshops are led by WHR, an organization which works for the empowerment of all women, but particularly widows and single women.
The joint project is a follow-up to an earlier collaboration between UNFPA, UNMIN and
Sarwanam, who are working towards increasing women's involvement in the peace process.
In December, 2007,
Sarwanam toured 15 districts in Nepal, spreading the message of women's meaningful participation and their role in the society. Performances were coupled with the distribution of the UNFPA cartoon booklet, which tells simple, real life stories of women during the conflict and simplifies the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, which directly calls for women's increased participation and protection in the peace process.
Audience reactions, at the time, were touching:
"You made me cry! I really can't express in words how touching it was and I would determine now to unite women in my village for the rights of women. You opened my eyes! …..couldn't stop crying!" -
Janaki Bhatta, Jhalari
The story of the drama truly portrays the situation of women in the country. For a moment, I thought it is very much my story. -
Shobha BC (Single woman, Mid-West Region)
With such a popular response to Naya Adhyaya, UNFPA decided to involve more partners to continue the 'Naya Adhaya' tour. With the help of the Danish Government, UNIFEM and Women for Human Rights, this project will not only continue, but will be extended to include a series of public messages through TV and radio as well as a series of workshops on women's participation in the peace process and the relevance of UNSCR 1325 to Nepal.
For more information contact: Mikyung Lee, Project Officer UNFPA Nepal,
mlee@unfpa.org
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