WINNER
The Lives of Women: Snapshots from the Nepal Terai

Hinduism bestows great respect upon women. Shakti is ultimate power and Hindu scriptures regard goddesses as penultimate agents of change. Many major rivers are also female in Hindu tradition. Hindus often ascribe feminine attributes to rivers and consider these life-giving waters maata or mother. Do predominantly Hindu societies, however, regard women with the same respect? What status do women have in the traditional Terai societies of Nepal?

This photo story is representative of the lives of women whose homes lie on the banks of the Saptakoshi River. It tries to present a glimpse of the conditions of working women in the area. In Nepal, where only 47% of the female population is literate, the condition of women in the Terai is worse than the country average. Most young girls in the Terai region are married off in early childhood and, as a result, are exploited within their families as well as by society. The only way to overcome this exploitation is to empower women.

Change can be brought about by working together. Most women in Nepal work well into old age. They are responsible for making sure things are always in order. What then, are male members responsible for? Without women, our existence on earth is impossible, but do we, as a society, fully recognize this?

Photo: Suman Adhikari

WINNER
The Lives of Women: Snapshots from the Nepal Terai

Hinduism bestows great respect upon women. Shakti is ultimate power and Hindu scriptures regard goddesses as penultimate agents of change. Many major rivers are also female in Hindu tradition. Hindus often ascribe feminine attributes to rivers and consider these life-giving waters maata or mother. Do predominantly Hindu societies, however, regard women with the same respect? What status do women have in the traditional Terai societies of Nepal?

This photo story is representative of the lives of women whose homes lie on the banks of the Saptakoshi River. It tries to present a glimpse of the conditions of working women in the area. In Nepal, where only 47% of the female population is literate, the condition of women in the Terai is worse than the country average. Most young girls in the Terai region are married off in early childhood and, as a result, are exploited within their families as well as by society. The only way to overcome this exploitation is to empower women.

Change can be brought about by working together. Most women in Nepal work well into old age. They are responsible for making sure things are always in order. What then, are male members responsible for? Without women, our existence on earth is impossible, but do we, as a society, fully recognize this?

Photo: Suman Adhikari

WINNER
The Lives of Women: Snapshots from the Nepal Terai

Hinduism bestows great respect upon women. Shakti is ultimate power and Hindu scriptures regard goddesses as penultimate agents of change. Many major rivers are also female in Hindu tradition. Hindus often ascribe feminine attributes to rivers and consider these life-giving waters maata or mother. Do predominantly Hindu societies, however, regard women with the same respect? What status do women have in the traditional Terai societies of Nepal?

This photo story is representative of the lives of women whose homes lie on the banks of the Saptakoshi River. It tries to present a glimpse of the conditions of working women in the area. In Nepal, where only 47% of the female population is literate, the condition of women in the Terai is worse than the country average. Most young girls in the Terai region are married off in early childhood and, as a result, are exploited within their families as well as by society. The only way to overcome this exploitation is to empower women.

Change can be brought about by working together. Most women in Nepal work well into old age. They are responsible for making sure things are always in order. What then, are male members responsible for? Without women, our existence on earth is impossible, but do we, as a society, fully recognize this?

Photo: Suman Adhikari

WINNER
The Lives of Women: Snapshots from the Nepal Terai

Hinduism bestows great respect upon women. Shakti is ultimate power and Hindu scriptures regard goddesses as penultimate agents of change. Many major rivers are also female in Hindu tradition. Hindus often ascribe feminine attributes to rivers and consider these life-giving waters maata or mother. Do predominantly Hindu societies, however, regard women with the same respect? What status do women have in the traditional Terai societies of Nepal?

This photo story is representative of the lives of women whose homes lie on the banks of the Saptakoshi River. It tries to present a glimpse of the conditions of working women in the area. In Nepal, where only 47% of the female population is literate, the condition of women in the Terai is worse than the country average. Most young girls in the Terai region are married off in early childhood and, as a result, are exploited within their families as well as by society. The only way to overcome this exploitation is to empower women.

Change can be brought about by working together. Most women in Nepal work well into old age. They are responsible for making sure things are always in order. What then, are male members responsible for? Without women, our existence on earth is impossible, but do we, as a society, fully recognize this?

Photo: Suman Adhikari

WINNER
The Lives of Women: Snapshots from the Nepal Terai

Hinduism bestows great respect upon women. Shakti is ultimate power and Hindu scriptures regard goddesses as penultimate agents of change. Many major rivers are also female in Hindu tradition. Hindus often ascribe feminine attributes to rivers and consider these life-giving waters maata or mother. Do predominantly Hindu societies, however, regard women with the same respect? What status do women have in the traditional Terai societies of Nepal?

This photo story is representative of the lives of women whose homes lie on the banks of the Saptakoshi River. It tries to present a glimpse of the conditions of working women in the area. In Nepal, where only 47% of the female population is literate, the condition of women in the Terai is worse than the country average. Most young girls in the Terai region are married off in early childhood and, as a result, are exploited within their families as well as by society. The only way to overcome this exploitation is to empower women.

Change can be brought about by working together. Most women in Nepal work well into old age. They are responsible for making sure things are always in order. What then, are male members responsible for? Without women, our existence on earth is impossible, but do we, as a society, fully recognize this?

Photo: Suman Adhikari

WINNER
The Lives of Women: Snapshots from the Nepal Terai

Hinduism bestows great respect upon women. Shakti is ultimate power and Hindu scriptures regard goddesses as penultimate agents of change. Many major rivers are also female in Hindu tradition. Hindus often ascribe feminine attributes to rivers and consider these life-giving waters maata or mother. Do predominantly Hindu societies, however, regard women with the same respect? What status do women have in the traditional Terai societies of Nepal?

This photo story is representative of the lives of women whose homes lie on the banks of the Saptakoshi River. It tries to present a glimpse of the conditions of working women in the area. In Nepal, where only 47% of the female population is literate, the condition of women in the Terai is worse than the country average. Most young girls in the Terai region are married off in early childhood and, as a result, are exploited within their families as well as by society. The only way to overcome this exploitation is to empower women.

Change can be brought about by working together. Most women in Nepal work well into old age. They are responsible for making sure things are always in order. What then, are male members responsible for? Without women, our existence on earth is impossible, but do we, as a society, fully recognize this?

Photo: Suman Adhikari

WINNER
Rainbow: Parameters of Gender in the Koshi Basin

My mother, who is not an educated woman by modern standards, once said to me, “A rainbow looks beautiful only when all of its different colours scatter simultaneously. I think the same is true for societies and nations.”

Growing up, I never imagined that I would meet people who would show me what my mother meant when she talked about these different colours, about the fluctuating parameters that shape society. A recent trip to the Koshi basin opened up the true meaning of my mother’s words for me.

Interest First:
Md Bauwa Miya (55), lives away from home so that he can take care of his three buffaloes. His family, including his wife, do not like having cattle around the house, which is why Bauwa Miya left home years ago to live with his buffaloes near Kerabari, on the banks of the Koshi River.

Photo: Suresh Mukhiya

WINNER
Rainbow: Parameters of Gender in the Koshi Basin

My mother, who is not an educated woman by modern standards, once said to me, “A rainbow looks beautiful only when all of its different colours scatter simultaneously. I think the same is true for societies and nations.”

Growing up, I never imagined that I would meet people who would show me what my mother meant when she talked about these different colours, about the fluctuating parameters that shape society. A recent trip to the Koshi basin opened up the true meaning of my mother’s words for me.

Unsung Hero:
Kitawan Khatun (61) is a woman who has proven she does not need a man to take care of her. Her husband, Md Shadrul, abandoned her some years ago. Kitawan now lives by herself and takes care of her daughter, Mehrul Khatun.
When asked how they protect themselves during the night from wild animals that might venture from the neighbouring Koshi Tappu Reserve to Bhantabari, where she has built a home for herself and her daughter on the river bank, she confidently shows a pulto (torch), which she lights at night to keep wild animals at bay.

Photo: Suresh Mukhiya

WINNER
Rainbow: Parameters of Gender in the Koshi Basin

My mother, who is not an educated woman by modern standards, once said to me, “A rainbow looks beautiful only when all of its different colours scatter simultaneously. I think the same is true for societies and nations.”

Growing up, I never imagined that I would meet people who would show me what my mother meant when she talked about these different colours, about the fluctuating parameters that shape society. A recent trip to the Koshi basin opened up the true meaning of my mother’s words for me.

There for Each Other:
Buddha Maya and Amilal Majhi are an adorable couple who have been happily married for 55 years. They live in Madhuban, Koshi and receive no financial support from their children who are all well-settled in Pokhara city. They own a small dhiki (manual wooden thresher used for grinding) and make marcha (yeast cakes) to sell to alcohol brewers in the village.

Photo: Suresh Mukhiya

WINNER
Rainbow: Parameters of Gender in the Koshi Basin

My mother, who is not an educated woman by modern standards, once said to me, “A rainbow looks beautiful only when all of its different colours scatter simultaneously. I think the same is true for societies and nations.”

Growing up, I never imagined that I would meet people who would show me what my mother meant when she talked about these different colours, about the fluctuating parameters that shape society. A recent trip to the Koshi basin opened up the true meaning of my mother’s words for me.

Permission to Say Name:
While on my way to Budhabare, Koshi, I was drawn towards a couple working outside a small blacksmith’s shop. When I asked the couple for their names, the man proudly shared his: Kishan Uraw, but the woman stayed silent. The woman was symbolically asking her husband permission to pronounce her own name. As she remained silent, I moved ahead without learning her name.

Photo: Suresh Mukhiya

WINNER
Rainbow: Parameters of Gender in the Koshi Basin

My mother, who is not an educated woman by modern standards, once said to me, “A rainbow looks beautiful only when all of its different colours scatter simultaneously. I think the same is true for societies and nations.”

Growing up, I never imagined that I would meet people who would show me what my mother meant when she talked about these different colours, about the fluctuating parameters that shape society. A recent trip to the Koshi basin opened up the true meaning of my mother’s words for me.

Fishing To Eat Not To Sell:
Sometimes, children fish in rivers to earn money to supplement their families’ incomes. Other times, they might simply be in the mood to have fish for dinner and their parents might not have the money to buy some in the market. Master Afzal (left) and Akmal (right) are brothers who go fishing whenever they wish to eat fish.

Photo: Suresh Mukhiya

WINNER
Rainbow: Parameters of Gender in the Koshi Basin

My mother, who is not an educated woman by modern standards, once said to me, “A rainbow looks beautiful only when all of its different colours scatter simultaneously. I think the same is true for societies and nations.”

Growing up, I never imagined that I would meet people who would show me what my mother meant when she talked about these different colours, about the fluctuating parameters that shape society. A recent trip to the Koshi basin opened up the true meaning of my mother’s words for me.

In One’s Own Country:
Kishan Mukhiya (left) and Ranjit Mukhiya (right) mend a fishing net near the Koshi Barrage to earn their living. Two years ago, they returned from Qatar and now proudly say that it is better to work freely in Nepal than slave away on foreign soil. The two men are happy about being able to live with their wives and children and provide for them.

Photo: Suresh Mukhiya

WINNER
Rainbow: Parameters of Gender in the Koshi Basin

My mother, who is not an educated woman by modern standards, once said to me, “A rainbow looks beautiful only when all of its different colours scatter simultaneously. I think the same is true for societies and nations.”

Growing up, I never imagined that I would meet people who would show me what my mother meant when she talked about these different colours, about the fluctuating parameters that shape society. A recent trip to the Koshi basin opened up the true meaning of my mother’s words for me.

Punctual Boat Rowers:
Boat rowers Jatru Mukhiya and (left) and Gunu Mukhiya are out on the river every day from 10 am to 5 pm. The two stick to these hours and say that they have learnt to keep this schedule from officials whose work days start and end at the same time as theirs. They do this so that they can get home on time and be there for their wives.

Photo: Suresh Mukhiya

WINNER
Rainbow: Parameters of Gender in the Koshi Basin

My mother, who is not an educated woman by modern standards, once said to me, “A rainbow looks beautiful only when all of its different colours scatter simultaneously. I think the same is true for societies and nations.”

Growing up, I never imagined that I would meet people who would show me what my mother meant when she talked about these different colours, about the fluctuating parameters that shape society. A recent trip to the Koshi basin opened up the true meaning of my mother’s words for me.

Woman as Head of the Family:
Palki Uraw, a woman vegetable seller, feels proud to have her husband’s support. He has been by her side at every step. Her husband sees no shame in having a woman heading the family. The couple believe that both men and women can run a family.

Photo: Suresh Mukhiya

WINNER
Rainbow: Parameters of Gender in the Koshi Basin

My mother, who is not an educated woman by modern standards, once said to me, “A rainbow looks beautiful only when all of its different colours scatter simultaneously. I think the same is true for societies and nations.”

Growing up, I never imagined that I would meet people who would show me what my mother meant when she talked about these different colours, about the fluctuating parameters that shape society. A recent trip to the Koshi basin opened up the true meaning of my mother’s words for me.

Towards the end of the trip, as I was returning home, I observed the remains of a clay idol that had been haphazardly thrown on the river bank. The clay had been washed clean from the straw frame. This made it difficult for me to recognize the gender of the deity. It is the same with our society, is it not? Beneath the social constructs, we are all just flesh and bone and human.

Photo: Suresh Mukhiya

WINNER
Rainbow: Parameters of Gender in the Koshi Basin

My mother, who is not an educated woman by modern standards, once said to me, “A rainbow looks beautiful only when all of its different colours scatter simultaneously. I think the same is true for societies and nations.”

Growing up, I never imagined that I would meet people who would show me what my mother meant when she talked about these different colours, about the fluctuating parameters that shape society. A recent trip to the Koshi basin opened up the true meaning of my mother’s words for me.

Interest First:
Md Bauwa Miya (55), lives away from home so that he can take care of his three buffaloes. His family, including his wife, do not like having cattle around the house, which is why Bauwa Miya left home years ago to live with his buffaloes near Kerabari, on the banks of the Koshi River.

Photo: Suresh Mukhiya

WINNER
On the Banks of the Indrawati

People in Bodgaun, a village in Sindhupalchok district, central Nepal, have experienced accelerated change in recent years. The village lies in Ward 11 of the Indrawati Rural Municipality, and has seen massive change over the past few decades. The most fertile plots of land owned by locals have been lost to river erosion. Some households have lost all of their agricultural land. Most houses in the village were damaged or completely destroyed by the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.

The people of the Bodgaun struggle to fulfil the bare necessities of life. Every day, the villages work overtime to make ends meet. For women specifically, there is a lot to do within a day. Woman handle domestic duties as well as generate money to support their family.

Photo: Bashudev Neupane

WINNER
On the Banks of the Indrawati

People in Bodgaun, a village in Sindhupalchok district, central Nepal, have experienced accelerated change in recent years. The village lies in Ward 11 of the Indrawati Rural Municipality, and has seen massive change over the past few decades. The most fertile plots of land owned by locals have been lost to river erosion. Some households have lost all of their agricultural land. Most houses in the village were damaged or completely destroyed by the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.

The people of the Bodgaun struggle to fulfil the bare necessities of life. Every day, the villages work overtime to make ends meet. For women specifically, there is a lot to do within a day. Woman handle domestic duties as well as generate money to support their family.

Photo: Bashudev Neupane

WINNER
On the Banks of the Indrawati

People in Bodgaun, a village in Sindhupalchok district, central Nepal, have experienced accelerated change in recent years. The village lies in Ward 11 of the Indrawati Rural Municipality, and has seen massive change over the past few decades. The most fertile plots of land owned by locals have been lost to river erosion. Some households have lost all of their agricultural land. Most houses in the village were damaged or completely destroyed by the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.

The people of the Bodgaun struggle to fulfil the bare necessities of life. Every day, the villages work overtime to make ends meet. For women specifically, there is a lot to do within a day. Woman handle domestic duties as well as generate money to support their family.

Photo: Bashudev Neupane

WINNER
On the Banks of the Indrawati

People in Bodgaun, a village in Sindhupalchok district, central Nepal, have experienced accelerated change in recent years. The village lies in Ward 11 of the Indrawati Rural Municipality, and has seen massive change over the past few decades. The most fertile plots of land owned by locals have been lost to river erosion. Some households have lost all of their agricultural land. Most houses in the village were damaged or completely destroyed by the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.

The people of the Bodgaun struggle to fulfil the bare necessities of life. Every day, the villages work overtime to make ends meet. For women specifically, there is a lot to do within a day. Woman handle domestic duties as well as generate money to support their family.

Photo: Bashudev Neupane

WINNER
On the Banks of the Indrawati

People in Bodgaun, a village in Sindhupalchok district, central Nepal, have experienced accelerated change in recent years. The village lies in Ward 11 of the Indrawati Rural Municipality, and has seen massive change over the past few decades. The most fertile plots of land owned by locals have been lost to river erosion. Some households have lost all of their agricultural land. Most houses in the village were damaged or completely destroyed by the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.

The people of the Bodgaun struggle to fulfil the bare necessities of life. Every day, the villages work overtime to make ends meet. For women specifically, there is a lot to do within a day. Woman handle domestic duties as well as generate money to support their family.

Photo: Bashudev Neupane

WINNER
On the Banks of the Indrawati

People in Bodgaun, a village in Sindhupalchok district, central Nepal, have experienced accelerated change in recent years. The village lies in Ward 11 of the Indrawati Rural Municipality, and has seen massive change over the past few decades. The most fertile plots of land owned by locals have been lost to river erosion. Some households have lost all of their agricultural land. Most houses in the village were damaged or completely destroyed by the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.

The people of the Bodgaun struggle to fulfil the bare necessities of life. Every day, the villages work overtime to make ends meet. For women specifically, there is a lot to do within a day. Woman handle domestic duties as well as generate money to support their family.

Photo: Bashudev Neupane

WINNER
On the Banks of the Indrawati

People in Bodgaun, a village in Sindhupalchok district, central Nepal, have experienced accelerated change in recent years. The village lies in Ward 11 of the Indrawati Rural Municipality, and has seen massive change over the past few decades. The most fertile plots of land owned by locals have been lost to river erosion. Some households have lost all of their agricultural land. Most houses in the village were damaged or completely destroyed by the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.

The people of the Bodgaun struggle to fulfil the bare necessities of life. Every day, the villages work overtime to make ends meet. For women specifically, there is a lot to do within a day. Woman handle domestic duties as well as generate money to support their family.

Photo: Bashudev Neupane

WINNER
On the Banks of the Indrawati

People in Bodgaun, a village in Sindhupalchok district, central Nepal, have experienced accelerated change in recent years. The village lies in Ward 11 of the Indrawati Rural Municipality, and has seen massive change over the past few decades. The most fertile plots of land owned by locals have been lost to river erosion. Some households have lost all of their agricultural land. Most houses in the village were damaged or completely destroyed by the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.

The people of the Bodgaun struggle to fulfil the bare necessities of life. Every day, the villages work overtime to make ends meet. For women specifically, there is a lot to do within a day. Woman handle domestic duties as well as generate money to support their family.

Photo: Bashudev Neupane

Rowing Towards Empowerment

Piparpati is a village in the Maharshi block of Saharsa District, situated on the banks of the Koshi River in Bihar. The village is surrounded by several tributaries of the Koshi River and is affected by seasonal floods. Villagers have adapted to live with water and the monsoon floods. Because the area is surrounded by streams, small boats are used to commute for day-to-day work and to access the market. There is no other way to travel to the village and therefore boats are part and parcel of the lives of villagers. Since male family members migrate to the cities seeking livelihood opportunities, women take full responsibility for themselves and their families. Women are among the most vulnerable groups during disasters but in this village, they are charting new territories and transforming themselves. They are excellent swimmers and boat rowers who depend on themselves even in times of disaster.

Photo: Anil Kumar

Rowing Towards Empowerment

Piparpati is a village in the Maharshi block of Saharsa District, situated on the banks of the Koshi River in Bihar. The village is surrounded by several tributaries of the Koshi River and is affected by seasonal floods. Villagers have adapted to live with water and the monsoon floods. Because the area is surrounded by streams, small boats are used to commute for day-to-day work and to access the market. There is no other way to travel to the village and therefore boats are part and parcel of the lives of villagers. Since male family members migrate to the cities seeking livelihood opportunities, women take full responsibility for themselves and their families. Women are among the most vulnerable groups during disasters but in this village, they are charting new territories and transforming themselves. They are excellent swimmers and boat rowers who depend on themselves even in times of disaster.

Photo: Anil Kumar

Rowing Towards Empowerment

Piparpati is a village in the Maharshi block of Saharsa District, situated on the banks of the Koshi River in Bihar. The village is surrounded by several tributaries of the Koshi River and is affected by seasonal floods. Villagers have adapted to live with water and the monsoon floods. Because the area is surrounded by streams, small boats are used to commute for day-to-day work and to access the market. There is no other way to travel to the village and therefore boats are part and parcel of the lives of villagers. Since male family members migrate to the cities seeking livelihood opportunities, women take full responsibility for themselves and their families. Women are among the most vulnerable groups during disasters but in this village, they are charting new territories and transforming themselves. They are excellent swimmers and boat rowers who depend on themselves even in times of disaster.

Photo: Anil Kumar

Women’s Roles in the Koshi Sub Basin, Bihar, India

Agriculture is a major source of income in the Koshi region. When there is no work in agricultural fields, men from Bihar migrate to work outside the state. Women, therefore, act as heads of households and manage everything for the family – from fetching fuel and fodder to buying rations and cookingy. In all spheres of life, women’s activities determine the fates of their families. A woman carries the burden of the family, sacrificing her personal freedoms to fulfil the role of homemaker. In the Koshi region, as elsewhere, inequalities test the strength of women.

Fuel for cooking:
Women from villages adjacent to the Kamala River, a western tributary of the Koshi, use cow/buffalo dung to make dry dung fuel (locally known as goraha) to use during the rainy season (June to September). The women use a piece of land that will be inundated by the river during the monsoon. Some of the dung is set aside to nourish the ground as manure and is not dried into cakes or sticks for use as fuel. Women who do not own cattle and cannot afford to buy other fuels use these sun-dried dung cakes and sticks as fuel for cooking.

Photo: Ranjeet Sahani

Women’s Roles in the Koshi Sub Basin, Bihar, India

Agriculture is a major source of income in the Koshi region. When there is no work in agricultural fields, men from Bihar migrate to work outside the state. Women, therefore, act as heads of households and manage everything for the family – from fetching fuel and fodder to buying rations and cookingy. In all spheres of life, women’s activities determine the fates of their families. A woman carries the burden of the family, sacrificing her personal freedoms to fulfil the role of homemaker. In the Koshi region, as elsewhere, inequalities test the strength of women.

Fodder for cattle:
In the Koshi region, cattle need to be stall fed as areas around the village are flooded and remain underwater for some months of the year. Cattle owners use water hyacinths, manejara (Sesbania bispinosa), and dry fodder to feed cattle during the floods. Women and young girls sometimes travel miles to fetch green fodder for cattle when the Koshi and Kamala flood. Since most men work abroad, women are responsible for collecting fodder for the cattle.

Photo: Ranjeet Sahani

Women’s Roles in the Koshi Sub Basin, Bihar, India

Agriculture is a major source of income in the Koshi region. When there is no work in agricultural fields, men from Bihar migrate to work outside the state. Women, therefore, act as heads of households and manage everything for the family – from fetching fuel and fodder to buying rations and cookingy. In all spheres of life, women’s activities determine the fates of their families. A woman carries the burden of the family, sacrificing her personal freedoms to fulfil the role of homemaker. In the Koshi region, as elsewhere, inequalities test the strength of women.

Drying and storing grains: Besides wheat and some varieties of rice, maize, and mung beans are the three major grains of the Koshi area. Women and young girls are responsible for drying grains and storing them safely at home. The women also make ready-to-eat sattu, a powdered mixture of maize, wheat, rice, and chickpeas, because cooking becomes difficult at times. Beaten rice and puffed rice are also prepared and stored for the monsoon along with jaggery. Herbs like mustard, coriander, and turmeric are sun dried, roasted, ground, and stored in airtight containers to be used during the floods.

Photo: Ranjeet Sahani

Women’s Roles in the Koshi Sub Basin, Bihar, India

Agriculture is a major source of income in the Koshi region. When there is no work in agricultural fields, men from Bihar migrate to work outside the state. Women, therefore, act as heads of households and manage everything for the family – from fetching fuel and fodder to buying rations and cookingy. In all spheres of life, women’s activities determine the fates of their families. A woman carries the burden of the family, sacrificing her personal freedoms to fulfil the role of homemaker. In the Koshi region, as elsewhere, inequalities test the strength of women.

Cooking for the family:
Women cook two meals a day over inefficient mud stoves (chulhas). They also spend a lot of time fetching fuelwood and water. Cooking becomes more difficult during the monsoon because the houses are small and fragile. Floodwaters enter houses and wash away mud chulhas. When this happens, women use brick stoves for cooking. Most poor families in the village cannot afford LPG gas. When women are not present, little girls take up the responsibility of cooking. In some families, girls start cooking as early as five years old. Sometimes, they skip school to cook food for their fathers and brothers.

Photo: Ranjeet Sahani

Women’s Roles in the Koshi Sub Basin, Bihar, India

Agriculture is a major source of income in the Koshi region. When there is no work in agricultural fields, men from Bihar migrate to work outside the state. Women, therefore, act as heads of households and manage everything for the family – from fetching fuel and fodder to buying rations and cookingy. In all spheres of life, women’s activities determine the fates of their families. A woman carries the burden of the family, sacrificing her personal freedoms to fulfil the role of homemaker. In the Koshi region, as elsewhere, inequalities test the strength of women.

Going to the weekly market:
In the Koshi region, women are responsible for buying rations for cooking. Women who live inside the Koshi embankments take boats to make the dangerous crossing necessary to get to the marketplaces, which are usually located outside the Koshi embankments. They cross the river again late in the evening to come back home. This activity becomes more dangerous during floods. However, without other options, women travel to these marketplaces for fresh vegetables and other essentials, which are either costly or not available in their villages. With their husbands working abroad, they often leave their children alone at home. All the while they are at the market, the women are worried about their children and cattle.

Photo: Ranjeet Sahani

Women who nourish then cherish

This woman works at a government farm in Palampur valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. Her husband, who used to work on the farm before her, died at a young age, leaving behind two children. She works hard to take care of her family. In spite of the hardship, she has never given up.

Photo: Ranu Pathania

Women who nourish then cherish

This woman works at a government farm in Palampur valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. Her husband, who used to work on the farm before her, died at a young age, leaving behind two children. She works hard to take care of her family. In spite of the hardship, she has never given up.

Photo: Ranu Pathania

Women who nourish then cherish

This woman works at a government farm in Palampur valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. Her husband, who used to work on the farm before her, died at a young age, leaving behind two children. She works hard to take care of her family. In spite of the hardship, she has never given up.

Photo: Ranu Pathania

Women who nourish then cherish

This woman works at a government farm in Palampur valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. Her husband, who used to work on the farm before her, died at a young age, leaving behind two children. She works hard to take care of her family. In spite of the hardship, she has never given up.

Photo: Ranu Pathania

Life after the Earthquake: the Majhi Community in Sindhupalchok, Nepal

Bodgau village is situated in Sindhupalchok District near the Indrawati River. A majority of local people belong to the Majhi community and are engaged in agriculture. The devastating earthquake of 2015 destroyed their homes and livelihoods. Even the seeds that the farmers had stored to sow during harvest season were destroyed by the earthquake. Without seeds, many were forced to leave their agricultural fields fallow.

Child marriage rates are high and the status of child and maternal health is poor because of lack of health facilities and awareness of health issues. Most women in the village are engaged in domestic work and are not literate. Climate change and natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and landslides impact livelihoods and agriculture.

There is the need for a campaign to address issues of gender inequality and make the community aware of agricultural adaptation measures to combat climate change. There is a need for awareness and training to help the community cope with natural disasters and make their living sustainable.

Photo: Upakar Bhandari

Life after the Earthquake: the Majhi Community in Sindhupalchok, Nepal

Bodgau village is situated in Sindhupalchok District near the Indrawati River. A majority of local people belong to the Majhi community and are engaged in agriculture. The devastating earthquake of 2015 destroyed their homes and livelihoods. Even the seeds that the farmers had stored to sow during harvest season were destroyed by the earthquake. Without seeds, many were forced to leave their agricultural fields fallow.

Child marriage rates are high and the status of child and maternal health is poor because of lack of health facilities and awareness of health issues. Most women in the village are engaged in domestic work and are not literate. Climate change and natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and landslides impact livelihoods and agriculture.

There is the need for a campaign to address issues of gender inequality and make the community aware of agricultural adaptation measures to combat climate change. There is a need for awareness and training to help the community cope with natural disasters and make their living sustainable.

Photo: Upakar Bhandari

Life after the Earthquake: the Majhi Community in Sindhupalchok, Nepal

Bodgau village is situated in Sindhupalchok District near the Indrawati River. A majority of local people belong to the Majhi community and are engaged in agriculture. The devastating earthquake of 2015 destroyed their homes and livelihoods. Even the seeds that the farmers had stored to sow during harvest season were destroyed by the earthquake. Without seeds, many were forced to leave their agricultural fields fallow.

Child marriage rates are high and the status of child and maternal health is poor because of lack of health facilities and awareness of health issues. Most women in the village are engaged in domestic work and are not literate. Climate change and natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and landslides impact livelihoods and agriculture.

There is the need for a campaign to address issues of gender inequality and make the community aware of agricultural adaptation measures to combat climate change. There is a need for awareness and training to help the community cope with natural disasters and make their living sustainable.

Photo: Upakar Bhandari

Life after the Earthquake: the Majhi Community in Sindhupalchok, Nepal

Bodgau village is situated in Sindhupalchok District near the Indrawati River. A majority of local people belong to the Majhi community and are engaged in agriculture. The devastating earthquake of 2015 destroyed their homes and livelihoods. Even the seeds that the farmers had stored to sow during harvest season were destroyed by the earthquake. Without seeds, many were forced to leave their agricultural fields fallow.

Child marriage rates are high and the status of child and maternal health is poor because of lack of health facilities and awareness of health issues. Most women in the village are engaged in domestic work and are not literate. Climate change and natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and landslides impact livelihoods and agriculture.

There is the need for a campaign to address issues of gender inequality and make the community aware of agricultural adaptation measures to combat climate change. There is a need for awareness and training to help the community cope with natural disasters and make their living sustainable.

Photo: Upakar Bhandari

Life after the Earthquake: the Majhi Community in Sindhupalchok, Nepal

Bodgau village is situated in Sindhupalchok District near the Indrawati River. A majority of local people belong to the Majhi community and are engaged in agriculture. The devastating earthquake of 2015 destroyed their homes and livelihoods. Even the seeds that the farmers had stored to sow during harvest season were destroyed by the earthquake. Without seeds, many were forced to leave their agricultural fields fallow.

Child marriage rates are high and the status of child and maternal health is poor because of lack of health facilities and awareness of health issues. Most women in the village are engaged in domestic work and are not literate. Climate change and natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and landslides impact livelihoods and agriculture.

There is the need for a campaign to address issues of gender inequality and make the community aware of agricultural adaptation measures to combat climate change. There is a need for awareness and training to help the community cope with natural disasters and make their living sustainable.

Photo: Upakar Bhandari

Life after the Earthquake: the Majhi Community in Sindhupalchok, Nepal

Bodgau village is situated in Sindhupalchok District near the Indrawati River. A majority of local people belong to the Majhi community and are engaged in agriculture. The devastating earthquake of 2015 destroyed their homes and livelihoods. Even the seeds that the farmers had stored to sow during harvest season were destroyed by the earthquake. Without seeds, many were forced to leave their agricultural fields fallow.

Child marriage rates are high and the status of child and maternal health is poor because of lack of health facilities and awareness of health issues. Most women in the village are engaged in domestic work and are not literate. Climate change and natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and landslides impact livelihoods and agriculture.

There is the need for a campaign to address issues of gender inequality and make the community aware of agricultural adaptation measures to combat climate change. There is a need for awareness and training to help the community cope with natural disasters and make their living sustainable.

Photo: Upakar Bhandari

Life after the Earthquake: the Majhi Community in Sindhupalchok, Nepal

Bodgau village is situated in Sindhupalchok District near the Indrawati River. A majority of local people belong to the Majhi community and are engaged in agriculture. The devastating earthquake of 2015 destroyed their homes and livelihoods. Even the seeds that the farmers had stored to sow during harvest season were destroyed by the earthquake. Without seeds, many were forced to leave their agricultural fields fallow.

Child marriage rates are high and the status of child and maternal health is poor because of lack of health facilities and awareness of health issues. Most women in the village are engaged in domestic work and are not literate. Climate change and natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and landslides impact livelihoods and agriculture.

There is the need for a campaign to address issues of gender inequality and make the community aware of agricultural adaptation measures to combat climate change. There is a need for awareness and training to help the community cope with natural disasters and make their living sustainable.

Photo: Upakar Bhandari

Conquering the Koshi: A Single Woman’s Effort to Feed her Family

Gayatri Devi Yadav cannot sustain a family of five from the remittance earnings that her husband sends her from India. Working the field is a compulsion for her. Growing crops would be less cumbersome if proper channels for irrigation were in place. Since her husband left for India two years ago, she has been struggling hard to fill her granary. Though the Koshi is located in the vicinity of her home, lack of proper canals makes it difficult for her to irrigate her field.

She sometimes uses a temporary canal for irrigation and carries water to the field at other times. Without her husband’s support, things have become very difficult. The temporary canals she builds are swept away by rain and carrying buckets of water to irrigate the whole field is not sustainable. She has already reduced her cropping area by half. Digging a well could be a good option, but the family is poor and cannot afford to do so.

Gayatri Devi’s problem is not an anomaly. Many women in her village suffer similarly. As men migrate for work, it is women who are left to work the fields. Although the Nepali government has tried to make irrigation easier by digging canals around the Koshi, many villages near the river are still untouched by these canals

Photo: Kamal Bk

Conquering the Koshi: A Single Woman’s Effort to Feed her Family

Gayatri Devi Yadav cannot sustain a family of five from the remittance earnings that her husband sends her from India. Working the field is a compulsion for her. Growing crops would be less cumbersome if proper channels for irrigation were in place. Since her husband left for India two years ago, she has been struggling hard to fill her granary. Though the Koshi is located in the vicinity of her home, lack of proper canals makes it difficult for her to irrigate her field.

She sometimes uses a temporary canal for irrigation and carries water to the field at other times. Without her husband’s support, things have become very difficult. The temporary canals she builds are swept away by rain and carrying buckets of water to irrigate the whole field is not sustainable. She has already reduced her cropping area by half. Digging a well could be a good option, but the family is poor and cannot afford to do so.

Gayatri Devi’s problem is not an anomaly. Many women in her village suffer similarly. As men migrate for work, it is women who are left to work the fields. Although the Nepali government has tried to make irrigation easier by digging canals around the Koshi, many villages near the river are still untouched by these canals

Photo: Kamal Bk

Conquering the Koshi: A Single Woman’s Effort to Feed her Family

Gayatri Devi Yadav cannot sustain a family of five from the remittance earnings that her husband sends her from India. Working the field is a compulsion for her. Growing crops would be less cumbersome if proper channels for irrigation were in place. Since her husband left for India two years ago, she has been struggling hard to fill her granary. Though the Koshi is located in the vicinity of her home, lack of proper canals makes it difficult for her to irrigate her field.

She sometimes uses a temporary canal for irrigation and carries water to the field at other times. Without her husband’s support, things have become very difficult. The temporary canals she builds are swept away by rain and carrying buckets of water to irrigate the whole field is not sustainable. She has already reduced her cropping area by half. Digging a well could be a good option, but the family is poor and cannot afford to do so.

Gayatri Devi’s problem is not an anomaly. Many women in her village suffer similarly. As men migrate for work, it is women who are left to work the fields. Although the Nepali government has tried to make irrigation easier by digging canals around the Koshi, many villages near the river are still untouched by these canals

Photo: Kamal Bk

Conquering the Koshi: A Single Woman’s Effort to Feed her Family

Gayatri Devi Yadav cannot sustain a family of five from the remittance earnings that her husband sends her from India. Working the field is a compulsion for her. Growing crops would be less cumbersome if proper channels for irrigation were in place. Since her husband left for India two years ago, she has been struggling hard to fill her granary. Though the Koshi is located in the vicinity of her home, lack of proper canals makes it difficult for her to irrigate her field.

She sometimes uses a temporary canal for irrigation and carries water to the field at other times. Without her husband’s support, things have become very difficult. The temporary canals she builds are swept away by rain and carrying buckets of water to irrigate the whole field is not sustainable. She has already reduced her cropping area by half. Digging a well could be a good option, but the family is poor and cannot afford to do so.

Gayatri Devi’s problem is not an anomaly. Many women in her village suffer similarly. As men migrate for work, it is women who are left to work the fields. Although the Nepali government has tried to make irrigation easier by digging canals around the Koshi, many villages near the river are still untouched by these canals

Photo: Kamal Bk

Conquering the Koshi: A Single Woman’s Effort to Feed her Family

Gayatri Devi Yadav cannot sustain a family of five from the remittance earnings that her husband sends her from India. Working the field is a compulsion for her. Growing crops would be less cumbersome if proper channels for irrigation were in place. Since her husband left for India two years ago, she has been struggling hard to fill her granary. Though the Koshi is located in the vicinity of her home, lack of proper canals makes it difficult for her to irrigate her field.

She sometimes uses a temporary canal for irrigation and carries water to the field at other times. Without her husband’s support, things have become very difficult. The temporary canals she builds are swept away by rain and carrying buckets of water to irrigate the whole field is not sustainable. She has already reduced her cropping area by half. Digging a well could be a good option, but the family is poor and cannot afford to do so.

Gayatri Devi’s problem is not an anomaly. Many women in her village suffer similarly. As men migrate for work, it is women who are left to work the fields. Although the Nepali government has tried to make irrigation easier by digging canals around the Koshi, many villages near the river are still untouched by these canals

Photo: Kamal Bk

Conquering the Koshi: A Single Woman’s Effort to Feed her Family

Gayatri Devi Yadav cannot sustain a family of five from the remittance earnings that her husband sends her from India. Working the field is a compulsion for her. Growing crops would be less cumbersome if proper channels for irrigation were in place. Since her husband left for India two years ago, she has been struggling hard to fill her granary. Though the Koshi is located in the vicinity of her home, lack of proper canals makes it difficult for her to irrigate her field.

She sometimes uses a temporary canal for irrigation and carries water to the field at other times. Without her husband’s support, things have become very difficult. The temporary canals she builds are swept away by rain and carrying buckets of water to irrigate the whole field is not sustainable. She has already reduced her cropping area by half. Digging a well could be a good option, but the family is poor and cannot afford to do so.

Gayatri Devi’s problem is not an anomaly. Many women in her village suffer similarly. As men migrate for work, it is women who are left to work the fields. Although the Nepali government has tried to make irrigation easier by digging canals around the Koshi, many villages near the river are still untouched by these canals

Photo: Kamal Bk

Conquering the Koshi: A Single Woman’s Effort to Feed her Family

Gayatri Devi Yadav cannot sustain a family of five from the remittance earnings that her husband sends her from India. Working the field is a compulsion for her. Growing crops would be less cumbersome if proper channels for irrigation were in place. Since her husband left for India two years ago, she has been struggling hard to fill her granary. Though the Koshi is located in the vicinity of her home, lack of proper canals makes it difficult for her to irrigate her field.

She sometimes uses a temporary canal for irrigation and carries water to the field at other times. Without her husband’s support, things have become very difficult. The temporary canals she builds are swept away by rain and carrying buckets of water to irrigate the whole field is not sustainable. She has already reduced her cropping area by half. Digging a well could be a good option, but the family is poor and cannot afford to do so.

Gayatri Devi’s problem is not an anomaly. Many women in her village suffer similarly. As men migrate for work, it is women who are left to work the fields. Although the Nepali government has tried to make irrigation easier by digging canals around the Koshi, many villages near the river are still untouched by these canals

Photo: Kamal Bk

Conquering the Koshi: A Single Woman’s Effort to Feed her Family

Gayatri Devi Yadav cannot sustain a family of five from the remittance earnings that her husband sends her from India. Working the field is a compulsion for her. Growing crops would be less cumbersome if proper channels for irrigation were in place. Since her husband left for India two years ago, she has been struggling hard to fill her granary. Though the Koshi is located in the vicinity of her home, lack of proper canals makes it difficult for her to irrigate her field.

She sometimes uses a temporary canal for irrigation and carries water to the field at other times. Without her husband’s support, things have become very difficult. The temporary canals she builds are swept away by rain and carrying buckets of water to irrigate the whole field is not sustainable. She has already reduced her cropping area by half. Digging a well could be a good option, but the family is poor and cannot afford to do so.

Gayatri Devi’s problem is not an anomaly. Many women in her village suffer similarly. As men migrate for work, it is women who are left to work the fields. Although the Nepali government has tried to make irrigation easier by digging canals around the Koshi, many villages near the river are still untouched by these canals

Photo: Kamal Bk

Bantar Women

Women from the Bantar community weave mats from a macrophyte (an aquatic plant large enough to be seen by the naked eye) found abundantly in the wetlands of the Koshi basin. The fibre comes from typha leaves, which are harvested before being beaten into the soft, flexible fibre out of which the mats, known locally as gundri, are woven.

It typically takes one woman half a day to weave one mat. On days when their household responsibilities are lighter, they may weave two mats over the course of a day. A local NGO provided the women training on weaving good quality gundris. The acceptance of these mats by communities in the region and their demand in the local market have empowered the women who weave them.

Sold at local markets these mats are handicrafts in their own right and represent the meticulous process thorough which their weavers convert a wetland weed into a household product.

Photo: Aditya Pal

Bantar Women

Women from the Bantar community weave mats from a macrophyte (an aquatic plant large enough to be seen by the naked eye) found abundantly in the wetlands of the Koshi basin. The fibre comes from typha leaves, which are harvested before being beaten into the soft, flexible fibre out of which the mats, known locally as gundri, are woven.

It typically takes one woman half a day to weave one mat. On days when their household responsibilities are lighter, they may weave two mats over the course of a day. A local NGO provided the women training on weaving good quality gundris. The acceptance of these mats by communities in the region and their demand in the local market have empowered the women who weave them.

Sold at local markets these mats are handicrafts in their own right and represent the meticulous process thorough which their weavers convert a wetland weed into a household product.

Photo: Aditya Pal

Bantar Women

Women from the Bantar community weave mats from a macrophyte (an aquatic plant large enough to be seen by the naked eye) found abundantly in the wetlands of the Koshi basin. The fibre comes from typha leaves, which are harvested before being beaten into the soft, flexible fibre out of which the mats, known locally as gundri, are woven.

It typically takes one woman half a day to weave one mat. On days when their household responsibilities are lighter, they may weave two mats over the course of a day. A local NGO provided the women training on weaving good quality gundris. The acceptance of these mats by communities in the region and their demand in the local market have empowered the women who weave them.

Sold at local markets these mats are handicrafts in their own right and represent the meticulous process thorough which their weavers convert a wetland weed into a household product.

Photo: Aditya Pal