Traditions of the Society and the Artist

Published06 October 2016

Reading Time 2 mins

Author Stories of Nepal

Location Nepal

(2/2) "I bore three sons and a daughter with my husband and time passed. I helped at home and things were okay as there were men at home who would earn. From childhood, I loved to draw and paint. In my village, houses were made of bamboos and mud. And I loved to coat the floor and walls with cow dung and mud and I made designs and carvings. I loved to decorate my house. My neighbours would come and see the beautiful art I had made and during festivals and weddings they would invite me to draw their homes. And happily I would go. After marriage I would paint my new home every chance I got. Our house faced the street and sometimes my mother in law would yell, 'All the men will see you from the street, why don't you stop?' And I would, but I would wake up in the darkness of the night and paint the walls when no one was watching. When I found out about the women development centre employing traditional artists, I told my family that I had a desire to work. My father in law scoffed and said, 'Women do not work on our family. If you want to work then you can live separately.' I somehow convinced my husband and started working and we moved out from my in-laws. For almost two decades, I have worked and supported my husband. He now runs a small paan shop and we send all our children to school. One has even completed masters degree. So I am very happy but I do worry about my daughter as according to the traditions of my society, women are still considered lesser than men.“ (Madhumala Mandal, Janakpur 12, Dhanusa)

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