“I want to ensure that no victim of violence should be kept away from accessing legal recourse.”

A Home-Based Worker Leader Dedicates Her Energies To Building Awareness On The Issue Of Violence Among Women Workers And Their Families.

“Just a few months ago, one of the home-based workers in my community was touched inappropriately by a contractor. When she protested, he shoved her and abused her,” recounts Geeta Thimozina Dahal – a home-based worker leader in Panvati, Nepal. Dahal says that instances of violence are all too common in her community. But she hopes to change that.

In October 2020, Dahal attended a training of trainers on the issue of gender-based violence conducted by SAATHI in partnership with HomeNet South Asia. After the training, she says she is better equipped to handle the issue of violence as an organiser. During the training, she was made aware of the legal mechanisms available to women in Nepal when they face violence. Armed with the knowledge, Dahal has now taken up the issue in her community.

Despite the pandemic, Dahal has trained over 30 home-based workers and their families in her community on the issue. She says that she ensures that the women know that they are not alone and that they can seek recourse in the law with help from dedicated organisations. Dahal is also working with the men in her community to eradicate the issue.

In the future, Dahal says that she hopes to train hundreds of others across Nepal so as to ensure a violence-free world.

The Training of Trainers on GBV, Geeta Dahal received was part of the HomeNet South Asia’s Comic Relief-funded initiative – Empowering Women Home-Based Workers.