Socially neglected, economically deprived and psychologically traumatized, the condition of more than 6000 young widows, who have lost their husbands in the last eight years of conflict, is heart-rending. Overburdened and helpless, these young widows are faced with extreme circumstances. The widows of army personnel, police and government employees whose husbands are killed during conflict, are awarded some economic compensation but the widows of common citizens and even Maoists do not get anything. Depressed and frustrated, the widows of the war groping in search of psychological and financial solace

By KESHAB POUDEL

Debaki Karki, 25, was widowed following the death of her husband, a police constable, in an encounter with the Maoists two years ago. A mother of three children, Karki, who is now living in Sarlahi district, 250 miles east of capital, wants to become self-reliant.

Depressed and frustrated, Karki’s life was transformed – into a new phase from isolation to exposure – when she was selected for the self-employment training program. Organized by the Central Police Family Women Association, the self-employment training aims to make widows of police personnel become self-reliant.

“For the past two years, I was in psychological trauma. When I met other widows like myself, I realized that I was not the only one to have lost husband,” said Karki. “I am struggling for survival.”

Karki is one among the first batch of 35 widows of dead police personnel to receive the self-reliant training. The Royal Nepalese Army Officers’ Wives’ Association (RNAOWA) has already conducted three rounds of training for 103 widows in the last 15 months. Similar training is also being provided to the widows of Armed Police Force.

At the initiative of Kamala Thapa, president of RNAOWA and the spouse of the current army chief, the training for the widows of army personnel –who died in the armed conflict – began about one and a half year ago with the aim to make widows financially self-reliant.

Financial Compensation

Along with receiving lump-sum compensation of about Rs. 750,000 (US$10,000), the widows of police, army and armed police forces are also given monthly pension for seven years.

Widows of civilians, however, whose husbands too have died in the conflict – have harsh stories to tell, as they do not get anything from the government. Despite facing similar psychological trauma and pathetic economic conditions, their situation is painful.

The government provides just a nominal amount of about US$ 200 to US$1,500 to the family of commoners who die in the conflict. As the process is lengthy and complicated, it will take a month and even years to get even this amount of money.

Even the widows of security personnel have to go through difficult process. Once widows of army and police personnel apply to secure the compensation, the dispute will begin in their family about who will have the control over the money.

Feud begins in the family of security personnel and government employees on the matter of compensation given to them. Parents of dead person – often old and unable to work- consider they have the legitimate right over the compensation. According to the law, the young widows are given the legal right over compensation.

With 40 percent of the total population living below the absolute poverty line, the lump sum money given as compensation is hefty for the family.

Since Nepal’s rural society is based on the extended family structure, the compensation meant for young widows often ends up in the hands of her family members. Often, once the amount of compensation reaches the hand of family members, the widow is harassed and compelled to leave the house.

In some cases, the young widows take away the compensation and remarry causing disharmony in the family – particularly affecting old parents of the victim.

According to Nepal’s Civil Code Act, a widow can make a demand for her property rights any time, at will. Even widows, who do not have children, can retain her share of property even if she gets re-married.

In dozens of cases, the widows have filed complaints (at the court) against family members demanding to recover the compensation and lump sum money provided by the state.

Laxmi Bhujel, 24, a widow of police constable is lucky enough to keep her compensation money in a bank account jointly operated with her son. Bhujel – who is currently taking skill training run by Nepal Police Family Association, fought with her own mother and father over the money. “I am not facing any problems from my mother in law and father in law but my mother, father and brother have tried hard to snatch the money,” said Bhujel, a resident of Pyuthan, 400 miles west of capital.

National Women Commission (NWC) has already received a number of complaints from widows of security personnel in the last eight years. According to the government policy, a police and security personnel who are killed in the combat receive about US$ 10,000. “We have received more than dozens of complaints from women seeking our support to secure the compensation,” said spokesperson of the Commission.

Bhujel is not a single woman to face such situation, there are many widows who were robbed by their families and thrown out of the house. Illiterate and helpless, such widows are compelled to part with their money to perform the religious rituals.

“I have seen many widows who spent almost all their money to perform the death rituals assuming that dead person can go to heaven. I term this system as a social and cultural robbery,” said Subodh Pyakurel, president of INSEC.

Some organizations like NWC have also pressed the government to take necessary steps to provide relief to the widows living in the conflict areas including providing seed money between US$ 60 to US$ 150 to each women without any interest so that they can start their own small business.

Sumitra B.K, 17, a young widow whose husband was killed by security personnel, does not have anything. Harassed by police and security personnel, Sumitra fled to capital Kathmandu from her hometown in mid-western region Surkhet.

Thanks to the support given by Women for Human Rights, Single Women Group, an NGO working to protect the interest of widows, B.K. is receiving short-term vocational training.

“Most of the single women are traumatized by the dual affects of losing a husband and feeling insecure due to the security personnel and Maoists’ torture,” said Lily Thapa, chairperson of the group. “As soon as women become single, it is not only the loss of the loved one which troubles her, but multi-dimensional issues like economic, social and physical effects torment her.”

Difficult Course of Life

Living in trauma, social discrimination and economically deprived conditions, the widows have to live in isolation.

“As a member of our family, we are trying our best to provide necessary support to the widows of police personnel. One of the aims of current program is to give psychological counseling as well as self-reliance training to the widows,” said Jyoti Singh, general secretary of Central Police Family Women Association. “ Problem with us is that we don’t have adequate fund.”

As most of the victims are the low level employees like constables and jawans, the economic burden of the household management shifts on widows soon after the death of her husband.

Due to practice of marrying at early age, the most of the widows already have a couple of children who are at the age of school going. The mother who is young has little choice as her decision can change the fate of small innocent child.

Despite receiving financial compensation, most of the widows of security personnel- who are mostly below 25 years – are cut off from mainstream society. From adjustment in the family to society, their new cycle of life begins with pain and hardship.

According to Nepalese social and cultural practice, a widow has to learn a way of life, which is completely different than that of others. From wearing particular type of cloths to participating in cultural rituals, the widows have to follow a separate course.

mainstream culture as well as remain a person with distinct identity,” said Dr. Rishikeshab Raj Regmi, a cultural anthropologist.

A widow has to sacrifice the biological and personal desires to live in a society where she is put in negligence, isolation and discrimination. In most societies of this region, widows are regarded as women of misfortune.

“The tragedy of widows is one of the major problems seen in the conflict prone zone. With the death of husband, a young widow – who has to pass through a traumatic period losing her beloved – has to take care of her small children, old father-in-law and mother-in-law,” said Pyakurel, president of INSEC. “From completing household chores to suffering constant threat of state/rebels, it is very difficult to describe the painful stories of widows. On the part of distribution of welfare for widows, the state does discriminate between the widows of security personnel and other commoners.”

Family Harassment

Harassed by their family members including father-in-law, mother-in-law at husband’s family and ignored by her own family, widows are taken as a burden.

Becoming a widow in Nepal brings with it a distinct disadvantage since they have to face social exclusion and marginalization within their community. From dress code to other matters, they have to live in complete isolation.

“A definite social change, social reforms, and collective actions are needed to set up immediately while keeping the present crisis in mind. Existing schemes of the government towards single women need to be redesigned to include empowerment mechanisms whereby single women have better controls over resources,” said Thapa.

WHR’s Role

The study conducted by Women for Human Rights (WHR), a single women group dedicated to address the social, economic and legal issues of widows, disclosed that out of 200,000 widows in the Himalayan Kingdom, more than 7,000 are affected by conflict. Those widows who have lost their husbands in the insurgency are below 30 years and majority of them are younger than 20 years old – with no children.

In the armed conflict, the widows of security personnel, government employees and teachers are entitled to secure certain amount as lump sum compensation but widows of Maoists and other common people do not get anything from the government.

Some NGOs have been launching programs targeting the widows living in conflict zone but it covers only a few areas. WHR has been launching various programs in 26 districts out of 75. The organization is launching programs in Bardia, Surkhet and Dang districts – which have the largest number of widows.

According to the group, out of 157 registered widows, 34 are the victims of conflict in Bardia district and 35 widows are related to conflict out of 85 registered in Dang. Out of 400 registered widows, 135 were related to conflict in Surkhet district.

With the average poverty level of 40 percent in Nepal, National Planning Commission (NPC) – an apex policy-making body – reveals that the poverty is concentrated in far-western and mid-western region.

“Among 2000 registered widows in 27 districts, more than 700 widows are those who have lost heir husband in conflict and are in the mid-west and far-west,” said Lily Thapa, chairperson of WHR. “Majority of the young single women are financially dependent on families of husband. More than 500 single women have already joined our skill development trainings including bicycle repair shops, mobile iron, grocery shops, seeds farms, tailoring and tea shops and livestock.”

Along with technical trainings, the WHR also conducts psychological counseling as well as provide micro-level entrepreneurships. One of the complications is to rescue young widows from psychological trauma. After death of women, the women not only lose her beloved but also economic supporters.

“Women and children are the worst hit people in conflict. Most of the women who come to our office are kicked out from families and our sample study has revealed that conflict has increased the number of single women at a young age and many fatherless children below 10 years old,” said Thapa.

Sunita B.K.,16, and Jummi Chaudhari, 17, (name changed on request) are two widows from Ghorahi sub-municipality in mid-west Nepal, who lost their husband in the conflict. B.K, who belongs to untouchable caste, lost her husband in a police encounter just a few months after their marriage whereas Chaudhari’s husband was a police who was killed by the Maoists. With the support from WHR, these two young widows are now studying at local school.

According to INSEC Human Rights Year book 2004, Maoists killed 624 male in 2003 including 212 police and 109 military personnel. The government forces killed 925 Maoist males in encounter.

Sharmila Dahal, 21, (name changed) a widow from Jhapa, 500 miles east of capital, whose husband – a police constable – was killed in combat a year ago – was forced to leave her house by her in-laws. Desperate and helpless, she is now living with her two-year-old son working at a child-care center in capital. In the last eight years, about 2000 security personal have already been killed.

“We receive a number of complaints from widows living in conflict areas including that of psychological, physical and sexual harassment,” said Babita Basnet, general secretary of Nepal Sancharika Samuha, a women communicators’ group.

PAF’s Efforts

With the involvement of Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) in the conflict prone zone, the widows who were not earlier included in any government program will have a chance for receiving economic benefits.

With the announcement of new income generating programs directed at the widows living in the mid western region by the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) – an umbrella organization to integrate all the programs related to poverty alleviation – the government seems to have realized the plights of widows living in conflict prone zone.

According to the PAF, the program initially will cover few Maoist-affected districts in mid-western region. The program will be extended throughout Nepal later.

At a time when a large number of widows – who have lost their husbands in conflict – have been facing severe economic and psychological trauma, the new program of the PAF has come as good news.

“One of the objectives of our program is to cover widows of all sides killed in insurgency. Our program is for all Nepalese and not for particular group,” said Dr. Mohan Man Sainju, chairman of the Poverty Alleviation Fund. “ In the first phase, our program will cover only a few districts in the Maoist-affected areas and we will extend our programs later on. Various donors have already expressed commitment to provide it with monetary assistance.”

The problems of rural widows are that they are young and illiterate. “Our aim is to make them self-reliant,” said Dr. Sainju. “We have received a proposal to run such program from a group of widows of Dang district.”