I still have no answers

Published08 June 2019

Reading Time 2 mins

Author Stories of Nepal

Location Nepal

"I think I was 8 years old when I started asking questions about my ‘Badi’ caste. Why do people talk to us in a condescending manner? Why is there no food for us to eat? Why are poor while others have more than they need? Why they do not let us touch water or enter their garden? Everyone corners us. Back then, as a small girl, I had no answers. I used to cry at night because I knew that I had to wake up to the same troubles. I used to think who made us Badi and the person responsible for it. I never got my answers. They say it is the society but I cannot argue about this because I am not so educated. I somehow learned to write my name. The women in this community are victimized by the men and the high class. For them, we are women and we sell ourselves to other men for money. The name “Badi” does not only refer to our caste but today it is a label given to any women who sells her body, regardless of her caste identity. In the past because of the scarcity of food, there were women who did this. But this number is declining. But for the society, a Badi woman, even though she lives a life of dignity is labeled as a woman of bad character. They say, “Look at that Badeni, she has no shame.” These people have received a right to oppress us and discriminate us. And who is going to stop this injustice? I still have no answers."

Join the Archival Journey

Receive weekly dispatches from the field—stories of resilience, tradition, and the changing landscape of Nepal delivered quietly to your inbox.