"Learning about violence against women in Nepal turned me into an education activist"

Priyanka Pokharel, a law graduate and Global Youth Ambassador for Theirworld, tells how taking direct action has helped women in rural communities.

In marginalised communities in Nepal, many women have never had a formal education. They are also not well informed about such basic concepts as sexuality and human rights.

When Covid-19 lockdowns led to reports of increased domestic violence, law graduate Priyanka Pokharel - who is also one of Theirworld’s network of Global Youth Ambassadors - decided to investigate the causes and effects in her home village.

In the latest in our Spotlight On ... series, which features inspiring people from the world of education, Priyanka tells us what she found and how it helped to shape her belief that education is the most powerful weapon to fight poverty.

Tell us about your journey to becoming an education activist

It all started during the lockdown, enforced in Nepal in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. While we were all bound to sit inside our homes, people in the cities were lucky - they were trying their hands at making Dalgona coffee, following TikTok trends or even attending Zoom calls.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the same in every household. News articles surfaced in Nepalese media about increasing domestic violence incidents, assaults and rapes. It was disheartening to see the suicide rate escalating - even more so among women.

This motivated me to find out the root cause of this problem. Women were inside their homes with their families during the lockdown. So why had violence against women increased?

After the lockdown restrictions were lifted, I decided to uncover the underlying causes of this problem. I packed my bags and headed to my hometown, which is a rural village in Nepal. There I visited many households and talked to women directly.

I found they were unwilling to talk about rape incidents due to the fear of stigma. They didn’t know the meaning of terms like sexuality, abortion and women’s rights.

They laughed when I mentioned marital rape and did not believe that it was criminalised in Nepal. They didn’t know who to approach with their problems and what kind of remedies are available for victims.

This sparked my interest in education. I realised that if we are able to educate mothers about such important topics, they would be aware of their rights and protect not just themselves but also empower their daughters in the face of gender-based violence.

Why is tackling violence against women so important to you?

Due to various social injustices, girls and women are deprived of opportunities in education and employment that are easily accessible to men.

Violence against women exacerbates the gender gap. When women are subjected to violence, it causes physical, mental and emotional strain to the women victims.

I realised that such violence has direct negative impacts on their children, who might be exposed to severe forms of psychological trauma. It may affect their academic performance.

How is eliminating violence against women linked to supporting education?

The main causes of gender-based violence stem from a lack of education. Many Nepalese women still face abuse when they give birth to a daughter.

Once violence against women is eliminated, they will have an equal access to education opportunities, which can also help them become financially independent, eventually impacting their children's education.

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned outside the classroom?

Everything you do is a stepping stone to something else. I’ve learnt that in my career and in the rest of my life too, so it’s important to try to make the best of the opportunities that come your way, which I haven’t always realised myself.

Even if you don’t do something quite as you had expected or wanted to, it's still a stepping stone, it still takes you somewhere else. So everything really does count.

I feel lucky that I’ve got to where I am. When I look back, it’s very much been a case of one thing leading to another, so really make the best of what you can.

What education projects are you currently working on?

I am working in rural communities by collaborating with the local government. With their help, I go to villages, particularly among the marginalised communities, and we hold a series of informal conversations with them.

We identify their culture-specific problems and offer viable solutions. I personally take their problems, with recommended solutions, to the judicial committee of the local government. I have also started drafting a handbook on comprehensive sexuality education in the native language of those communities.

Why did you become a Global Youth Ambassador?

I came across the GYA platform when I was looking for resources that would aid my projects. I was excited to see that the GYA community was providing useful trainings, mentorships and advocacy platforms for youth campaigners like myself. I joined the community and immediately had access to numerous useful materials that have helped me tremendously.

What have you learned from the GYA programme?

I have used it to develop my networking and communication skills, which was particularly helpful in approaching the local government for collaboration. I have also had the opportunity to connect with and learn from brilliant youth activists from around the world.

What is the achievement you are most proud of?

I lobbied with the local government of a rural village to dedicate a fund for women from indigenous communities. Now they need not pay any fee to report cases of domestic violence. The local municipality also provides such women with free legal services.

What would be your advice to young people who want to be campaigners and advocates like you?

At the outset, it is normal to feel frustrated. You might not have enough funds, the locals might not cooperate, your family might be sceptical and so on. But if you stay true to your passion for change, you will definitely succeed in the end.

A fuller version of this Q&A will appear on Theirworld’s website.

Help us to give more to vulnerable children

This coming Tuesday is Giving Tuesday - when charities ask their supporters to help the causes close to their heart. As we head towards Theirworld’s 20th anniversary celebrations in 2022, we’d like to make one more request this year.

Please spread the word about Theirworld to your friends, family, work colleagues or your school friends. Tell them about our mission to end the global education crisis and unleash the potential of the next generation.

You can also make a contribution to our work here. And on Giving Tuesday we’ll have a new video showing the work of one of our many projects that make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children.

5m children to benefit from quality education drive

Every week, Theirworld’s website brings you a roundup of news about global education. This week we look at a project to ensure better education for more than five million children aged three to 14 in India. It will provide remedial courses for those impacted by the pandemic and pay special attention to marginalised groups, including children with special needs, tribes and girls.

We also cover a U-turn by Tanzania's government that will allow pregnant girls expelled from school to return to their lessons after giving birth.

💬 Quote of the week 💬

"She was so cool, so engaging, and she really made us care. We knew that she cared about us. She was so relatable and likeable that I really looked forward to my English lessons."

Singer Adele, when she was tearfully reunited on TV with Miss McDonald, her teacher at Chestnut Grove School in Balham, London. Adele told her: "You really did change my life."

Did you know? 🤔

50% more likely

Educated mothers have healthier families. When a mother can read, her children are 50% more likely to live past the age of five, twice as likely to attend school, and 50% more likely to be immunised.

Taken from the Theirworld Education Finance Playbook - a practical guide for governments, donors and philanthropists to fund quality, inclusive education for all by 2030.

📖 What we're reading this week.

📓 Schools around the world have had to overcome obstacles to deliver education during a pandemic. In Cambodia, Wat Cheng Primary School used a mixture of online lessons and photocopied handouts. Find out how they rose to the challenge. Read the full story

🦠 Sadly, in many countries the picture is bleaker. A new report reveals that one in five children in fragile states risks dropping out of school because of the Covid crisis. A survey of schools in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia and Uganda found that many children are not returning to classes because of child labour, child marriage and financial hardship. Read more

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Thank you,

The Their News team