Sanjila’s Inspiring Story

“ADWAN lit a lamp of knowledge, education, and awareness for me. Through regular monitoring of activities, it builds a sense of guts, encouragement and self-assertion to move steps ahead independently. I want to be a feminist to end caste based discrimination and other social evils.” -Sanjila

Sanjila BK was a poor and disadvantaged, so-called Dalit (untouchable) born into the intergenerational hierarchical caste system which it still remains the social culture in Nepal. Since primary school in Chitwan, Sanjila has been receiving individual sponsorship through FAN and ADWAN’s Program. She is now working towards her master’s degree.

Sanjila’s inspiring story begins with a young woman determined to fulfill her desire for education yet honor her family’s custom to become a daughter-in-law by a certain age. When she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2019 Sanjila married. Six months later was the start of being severely abused both physically and mentally by her husband and his family members. Finally, Sanjila was able to leave her husband and his family to continue her studies for a master’s degree. In Chitwan, she started attending gender based violence training in an ADWAN women’s group and then recommended to participate in the Feminist Leadership and Movement Building Project administered by ADWAN’s General Secretary Bindu Pariyar Thapa with a $50,000 grant from Global Fund for Women and CREA. It is a two year mentorship program that prepares young community women leaders in Chitwan district of Bagmati Province.