Summary:

Surja Devi Saud aged-55, a resident of Godawari VDC of Kailali district was deprived in participating in community events. The community events were meant for accessible group only. When Surja Devi got chance to involved as HR activist, she got opportunity to involve in community forums and events. Various capacities building trainings provided knowledge on HR laws and policies made everyone to think about CBD&U situation in the community. People are afraid to discriminate people in terms of their caste as they know that it is punishable by law. She had been discriminated for being lady from Muslim community since childhood. People used to sprinkle scared water in them after being touched by Dalit community. There is still discrimination among women during menstruation. Women are considered untouchable during menstruation and deprived from care and support from their family. After mass sensitization during HR education campaign, there was door to door visits in every household that aimed to provide knowledge to the people on HR and violations in community, role of stakeholders in local level, people are more sensitized about HR violations issue particularly CBD&U. Most of them don’t know that it is punishable by law. But, after these sensitization program people are afraid to discriminate anyone. They started respecting everyone’s protecting dignity of every person in all condition.

Challenges:

The people from Dalit community have been deprived of accessing various services in the community. Women’s participation is rare in community forums. In that, a Muslim woman to participate in any community forum as activists is one of the biggest achievements. Women are discriminated during menstruation. CBD&U is being practiced in worst form in her community. People have no idea regarding existing laws and regulations regarding CBD&U. 

Initiative:

Overall activities are targeted towards increasing collective voices and actions by Dalit and non-Dalit community and organizations at all levels for combating caste based discrimination and untouchability practices and promoting human rights for all in all situation. Surja Devi got confidence after participating in various programs related to human rights. She started working as Human Rights Activist in the community. She shared that people used to discriminate Dalit community and they were not allowed to participate in local level events and programs. After HR education campaign was organized in community, perception of non-Dalit people has been changed towards Dalit community, they are afraid to discriminate one in terms of their caste as they knew that it is punishable by law. Surja Devi started various initiations by her own. She started doing all work and eating and sitting together as normal during her menstruation.

Results:

After various activities conducted at community level, change in perception and behavior of non-Dalit community to Dalit community is seen. Surja Devi believes that “starting from own” helps a lot to eradicate discriminatory culture which is still there in community in various forms.