Women in Nepal: three stories of female courage

«QWhen a woman tells a story, we expect it to be the story of a woman fighting for something, or that there is a female protagonist. But women writers can talk about anything, right? There should be no expectations, but rather openness. I hope to hear more women sharing stories, even personal ones, because literature doesn’t necessarily have to deal with big themes. And I would like to listen to them through every type of artistic expression.”

Asmita Gautam25 years old, has just the look of a poet: a romantic, brown bob, dark and introspective eyes, a delicate attitude. But from her home in Kathmandu, Nepal, she speaks with determination about her vision, which involves the role of women, still linked to traditionalist dynamics in her country.

Women in Nepal: the poems of Asmita Gautam

However, something is moving: slowly, year after year, some of them have chosen to pursue their vocation despite the external limits, affirming themselves for what they are, and hoping to motivate the others to do the same. They are extraordinary women, in the true sense of the term: extra-ordinary, who try to break away from consolidated mechanisms. «We have come a long way in Nepal on gender equalitybut sexist episodes still occur, even by educated people” continues Asmita. «A boy told me “it’s easy for you to have an audience, because you’re a girl”. I think people come to listen to my poems, not because I’m a girl.”

She started composing as a child, to process negative emotions. His poetry (“It took me some time to accept my poems as such”) talks about interiority, human connections, one’s own feelings and knowledge of others, without heaviness and excessive seriousness. He has a YouTube channeland reads his compositions during evenings attended by many young people, including many men. Asmita is receiving good recognition, but often «if you do something good, they say it’s because of your gender. If you do poorly, they say it’s because you’re not good. Here there are no large associations for the promotion of women in art: there is still a lot of work to do.”

Jiswan Tuladhar, a record-breaking pilot

Jiswan Tuladhar47, shares Asmita’s point, even though her story is completely different: she is a race car driver, specializing in gymkhana. «I started in 2018. La Nepal Association Sports Council he was looking for a woman to present at an international competition. I knew nothing about this sport, but I love trying new things. I thought: in Nepal someone has to start, why not me? I prepared myself, our government doesn’t support sports like this, the equipment is too expensive. I won the national women’s competition, managing to access the Asia Auto Gymkhana in Thailand, a mixed competition for both sexes. It was the first time they allowed women to compete. From there I took part in other races, in Asia but also in Europe, and in the World Cup in Marseille in 2022. That was my last race: but now in my country there are three women taking part in car races.”

For girls, in sport and outside, it is difficult to achievedespite going better than in the past; initiatives, even in entrepreneurship, are lacking, bureaucratically complex or relating to traditional sectors, such as agriculture. Jiswan herselfwho has 25 years of experience in tourism, created the Nepalese Tourism Women’s Associationto train and support women wishing to work in this field: to date there are over 50, nine had started. These are people who, instead of emigrating, will remain in their country of origin, going against the trend, since «the government does not understand that it is not enough to bring foreigners and tourists here, we must also allow those who were born here to stay. If Nepalese women want to stay in Nepal, it is right that it happens, and that is what I want for them» continues Jiswan.

Women in Nepal: Nirmala Bhandari, inclusive fashion shows

Another woman is also applying herself like Jiswan to develop inclusive programs: her name is Nirmala Bhandarihe is 31 years old and instead of his left leg he has a prosthesisapplied following a car accident as a child. The most striking things about Nirmala are the energy, vitality and positivity that shine through her gestures and words. And also from the facts, because he has a very busy life: «There are so many things to do and I want to do them all: as soon as you get to the highest level, you have to move on to something else. I’ve just started living my life” he confides. She created the Nirmala Foundation, which promotes events for people with physical disabilitiesespecially for amputees: since 2018 it has organized football matches, weightlifting courses and women’s wheelchair basketball teams. There was even a parade, the Amputee Runawayfollowed by meetings and working tables: «The show was an incredible success. The male and female models paraded in clothes by important designers, the same ones who make the clothes for Miss Nepal.” Nirmala, who was Miss Disability Queen in 2024he already knew the context.

In addition to the association, she is an experienced solo traveleris planning to reach Everest Base Camp with his partner and is also a professional basketball player: he won gold medals, competed in international competitions, participated in an exchange in the United States in 2022, where he found new ideas for starting inclusion projects for disabled people through sport in Nepalese schools.

The need to find one’s voice in Nepal

Just like Jiswan and Asmita, Nirmala’s initiatives are also aimed at investigating and filling those gaps left by the government, creating social value: «The state has few supporting policies. But Nepalese women are proactive, they want to do despite not being encouraged» they all agree. In Asia as elsewhere, it is necessary for women to experience their individuality and have the space to express themselves and feel complete. «In the novel The blue mimosawritten by writer and poet Parijatthe protagonist is Sakambari, a girl with identities and beliefs, which do not match society’s expectations. At a certain point he gives a monologue: he compares a woman’s life to flowers, saying that flowers don’t allow themselves to be kissed by all the bees and insects that fly around.” From Nepal, the appeal that comes is valid for everyone: find your voice, find your personal identity. Find your Sakambari and guard it with care, like that mountain chain that protects the colourful, noisy, messy, yet unique, Kathmandu valley.