World Social Justice Day : February 20
Bhuma Devi Poudel, of Rudrapur, has got justice at last, at the age of
58. As is the case with so many Nepali women of her generation, she was
married at the age of 13 and gave birth to two sons and a daughter. She
had been hoping for a happy family environment, but it was not to be.
She was treated violently by her husband, and her own sons. She was
beaten often, crying out for help from neighbours. Her family forced her
out of her own house. For 25 years, she has lived alone.
Two
years ago, she was became a member of a women’s group. Slowly, she came
to understand how the violence she had suffered breached her rights as a
human being. She shared her story with the group, and with UMN’s
partner, Sungabhava Community Development Centre. Group members and the
organisationtried to mediate between her and her family, but her family
were not ready to accept her as a family member. Then Bhuma decided to
file a case in the court. So the group members and the organisation
together helped to register her case at the police station and district
court.
After two years of fighting for her rights, she has
beenable to get recompense from her family. She received a share of the
land and property. “I tolerated violence from my family at the young
age of 13. Now I felt that to bear injustice is to support it. If I had
received this support when I was young, I may have my rights much
earlier,” she says.
Bhuma is now actively involved in raising awareness about violence and women’s rights in the community.