History – 1

November 25^th in 1988 is a date that remains fresh in our memories – this was the date when the idea for The Women’s Foundation Nepal was born. It was on this particular day, following a college volleyball competition, that we, a group of young women students, were approached by a middle-aged couple asking if anyone had seen their daughter. She had been missing for three months.

The couple were landless, so they came to Kathmandu searching for work with their three children. They started to work in a carpet factory. After a few days in the factory, a doctor asked their nine-year old daughter to be his servant; she would help care for his children and during the day he would send her to school. Eight days later, the doctor came back to the carpet factory, telling the parents that their daughter stole 110 grams of gold and had escaped from his home. Since then, the frantic parents had been trying to locate her.

After hearing their story, 14 of us gathered together to help them. We visited the doctor, but he refused to meet with us. We went to a political party’s office to ask for support, but they did not take us seriously. Next, we brought our concerns to the police. They were rude and dismissive. They saw us as disturbing troublemakers and asked us to go back to our studies. 

Undeterred by the lack of assistance, we, a group of 14 individuals decided to take matters into our own hands. We reached out to colleges, sharing the heartbreaking story and calling for a meeting to rally support in finding the missing girl. This gathering brought together 45 women, not only to discuss the specific case but also to address broader issues related to family and women’s rights.