Laxmi Bakhadyo (Nepal)


 

Lalaxmixmi Bakhadyo, was born in middle class family in 1989. She was grown up as normal girl child but her ambition and her schooling made her a social worker who devotes life for social justice and community empowerment. She had completed her graduate in 2014 from Kathmandu School of Law, a community college in Nepal.  She is young lawyer, serving for victims of gender based violence. She was awarded with university topper in her graduate and also bagged award for receiving highest marks in 20th Bar Association Examination 2015.

She writes on local and national papers about women rights. Further she is also an Asian Press Institute writer. She writes on human rights issues of women. She thinks that to eliminate discrimination against women, to empower women and to establish peace and justice in society there is need of equal participation of male and female. Every person of nation is stakeholder of nation and they have their own responsibility to develop society/nation as peace and prosperous society. Where there is huge gap between two type of people either gender wise, or property wise, or geographical situation wise or any other, we cannot say that there is development in reality. The actual need is fewer gaps between any two. That is husband and wife or that is farmer and politician, if there is huge gap then it resembles that there is no peace and no development and no respect human right.

Research and exploring world is her passion. She has presented paper on criminal justice system of Nepal: Human rights perspective in Gwangju Asia Forum, which was held in South Korea in 2016.

Currently She is working as legal aid lawyer to victims to gender based violence and help those women to represent themselves in Court of law (through CVICT). Further she runs mother education class (through SAA:PHU) to empower women and make them realize their essence and teach them to appreciate value of their life. SAA:PHU (Education for all) is an organization which was initiated by herself and she brought a team together to work for ensuring quality education. She undertakes that to establish violence free society there is need of light to education and knowledge. Merely being literate is not enough; there is need of education and knowledge.

She started her career as intern in Center for Legal Research and Resource Center and then she joined FIAN Nepal (Food First Information Action Network), where she worked for ensuring right to food and gender was crossing cutting issue. Now she is working in CVICT and serving voluntarily at SAA: PHU.

She is dynamic lady and she has ability to inspire other. One of her best asset while she works is her confidence, cooperation and leadership. She leads in a way that no one feels that anyone is lagged behind and overlooked any other. She prefers to work with team with full participation of team member. Collecting views from other team member and consulting senior is another quality which makes her able to achieve her dream. She is dreamer. Such dreamer who works with passion and respect.

She shared two stories:

Story 1: “Jamuna: Started to learn letter at the age of 40”

Jamuna, she is an unmarried lady who spent her life serving her family and raring her younger brother. She did not get opportunity to enroll in school and go for formal education. After devastating earthquake of April 25, 2015; she came in contact with SAA:PHU and she became part of mother education class. She, who even do not recognize single letter, now is able to read, write and speak Nepali language (national language of Nepal, which is different than local language Newari). She feels happy when she completes a story and shares with her other friends. She feels praised when she was able to add, subtract and recite multiplication table. Now she is planning to study till grade 10 through mother education class run by SAA:PHU.

Story 2: “Reunited with husband with whom she was about to get divorced”

It is case related to domestic violence. Bimala (changed name), she eloped at the age of 14 and was mother of 2 daughters when she came to meet me to file case of divorce. She met me during awareness campaign. She shared that her husband consumes alcohol and is irresponsible toward family. As her second child was daughter, she was deported to her maternal house by her husband. She wanted to get divorced. But she has neither citizenship nor marriage registration. Later on, with couple counseling, it was found that both loved each other but the reason of their quarrel was consumption of alcohol. Thus, various therapies were provided to husband and first daughter of couple played a role of bridge to fill gap between Bimala and her husband. Now, they are living together and husband controlled on consumption of alcohol. Bimala earns livelihood and her husband rare their two daughters.