Women, Dalit representatives, in particular, undergo multiple hurdles and face restricted political and executive space. They find it difficult to participate in the decision-making process. They, at times, are treated as dummy representatives by ward chairpersons.

Laxmi Basnet: Centre for Investigative Journalism-Nepal

Bhawani Mahara’s enthusiasm to work and contribute to the Dalit community after getting elected to the post of a ward member representing Dalit women witnessed a splinter in a jiffy.

In fact, she lost her space in terms of meaningful participation as an elected member at the ward office of Mirchaiya municipality-4 of Siraha district.

Moreover, she has not been able to talk boldly or make eye contacts with other senior representatives, some of them relatives, including her husband’s elder brother, father-in-law, among others.

Says Bhawani, “In fact, I usually do not go to the ward office. Why should I go when my presence is not felt there? Moreover, the law does not dictate me to work.”

A training organized by Dalit Women Center Nepal for Dalit women ward members in Kapilvastu. Photo: Dalit Women Center Nepal.

Bhawani, who is also a member of Municipality Judicial Committee, however, frequents the municipality every Thursday and Friday. But the decisions made by the Committee sometimes worries her since she has received a couple of threats for her participation as a Judicial Committee member in the decision-making process.

On March 29, a group of around 10-12 people came to her house at around 10 pm and threatened her of unfortunate consequences for making a decision against them. The other day she reported the incident at the Area Police Office, Mirchaiya. Police arrested three persons – Khusilal Thakur, Dipa Mahara, and Firoj Yadav – in connection with the threats the next day. However, local leaders of Nepali Congress and Rastriya Janata Party have been hell-bent to release them by pressurizing the police office. “I am afraid this will have negative consequences,” Bhawani says.

Bhawani is not only the ward member representing the Dalit woman to undergo such instances. The fate of the Dalit members with a Dalit woman as ward chairperson is no different.

Consider this: Mata Nepali, a Dalit woman representative in the Tathikandh Village Municipality-2 of Dailekh has been experiencing difficulties to participate in the political process that has hitherto been in a male bastion. “Despite my repeated appeal for the allocation of budget for goat farming aimed at uplifting the livelihood of Dalit women, I have not been able to get it,” she complains. Interestingly, Ruplal Biswokarma, A Dalit, is the ward chairperson.

The two-year experience of a Dalit ward member Anamika Harijan of Palhinandan village municipality-3 of Nawalparasi, which has a Dalit ward chairperson, is no different. Prior to this, a high school-graduate Anamika, was active in social activities. Anamika won the election with almost double the vote than ward chairperson Godhan Hairijan.

Anamika was later entrusted with the responsibility as a judicial committee member of village municipality. However, she too, could not play a meaningful role, which ebbed her enthusiasm to work for her ward. “There has not been any serious discussions so far. I feel I have been left out,” she says.

Anamika rarely goes to the ward office because her importance is felt when the ward chairperson wants him to put on her signatures in the minute. She has neither been entrusted with any responsibility, nor the ward office made a seat arrangement for her. Now, she feels that her position has been a burden. “The ward chairperson makes plans, implements them, and allocates budget as per his wish and asks us to put our signatures only,” says Anamika.

Instead, ward chairperson Godhan Harijan says people’s representatives need to take their own initiatives rather than ask for support with others.”

Tired of convincing

After getting elected as a ward member at the Melung village municipality-1, Januka Gahatraj vowed to work for the uplift of Dalit women of her ward. Previously a couture trainer, Januka intended to make her career in politics after getting elected as the ward member.

However, her enthusiasm soon turned into disenchantment. Says Januka, “Initially, there used to be two to three meetings. These days, they call the meetings once in three months, and we are invited just to sign on the papers.”

Majority of the ward offices are found to be holding meetings without any specific agenda. Reason: A substantial number of ordinary Dalit women lacking political experience neither have an effective role in the meetings and other works nor do they have any clue of their contribution. Januka says, “They even forbid us from reading the decisions. We are just made to sign and go.”

She, too, has several bitter experiences. When she asked for the budget to distribute goats for poor Dalit families, she was refused because of which she has not been able to convince voters of her community – a settlement of around 100 Dalit households. Januka says, “I sought all options. Now, I am enervated.”

The story of Parbati Bhul, a Dalit woman ward member of Dasrath Chand Municipality-4 of Baitadi is no different. Parbati, an intermediate, who previously worked with Dalit Women Association (FEDO) as its district vice president, used to draw the attention of a huge section of the society before the elections with her speech. However, her election as the ward member has changed her life. Now, even the ward chairperson spurns her proposals.

She complains that the ward authorities behave rudely when she comes up with project proposals for women and Dalits. “They suggest me to focus on development activities, not only women and Dalits,” she complains. She is ‘disheartened’ after her ward chairperson Mohan Chand asked her the purpose of her project plan.

“Initially, we were just asked to sign on the papers. However, we are allowed to speak after we started to grumble,” Parbati says adding, “In fact, we are made to give our consent to the ward chairperson’s decision under duress.”

Karnali is no different from the far-western region. The woes of Rajkali Nepali, ward member of Tila village municipality-3 of Humla district, is similar to other Dalits ward members. They (ward representatives) invite her during meetings only. Rajkali, who was elected for her promises, now feels she has been looked down upon. “Women from the village used to gather at the council and express their feelings. Now, I feel isolated since nobody listens to my voice,” she complains.

Conflict with ward chairperson

When Thuli Kanchhi, a Dalit from Baiteswor village municipality-1 of Dolakha, filed her candidacy representing Nepali Congress, the candidate representing the opposition party withdrew her nomination for her. After being elected unanimously, her first task was to fulfill her promises such as uplifting Dalit women’s livelihood. To fulfill her promises, she asked for the budget to initiate projects aimed at developing skills of Dalit communities. However, her requests were repeatedly turned down leading to tussle with the ward chairperson Brikh Bahadur Tamang, who was more focused on developing infrastructures such as drinking water, roads, among others saying that Dalit too would benefit from these development efforts. “The position of a Dalit member here is nothing more than a ‘statue’,” complains Thuli Kanchhi.

Ward chairperson Tamang, however, claims to have been working for women, children and other communities in a holistic approach. He expressed surprise towards her complaints saying, “I don’t understand how she is unaware of what my plans and visions are. She might be disappointed since the budget has not been allocated for a target community,” he clarifies.

For Sunita Nepali (Damai), Dalit woman ward member of Siddhicharan municipality-12, Okhaldhunga, the initial days after being elected as ward member was quite encouraging. An enthusiastic Sunita went regularly to the ward office and municipality to attend what she said ‘long and lively’ meetings, which, however, came to an end. After a certain period of time, she was invited to put her signatures on the decisions of the ward chairperson. They even started ignoring her opinions. “I am in fact disappointed now when they started ignoring me and the issues that I have raised in favor of the Dalit communities,” she complained. “They (Dalits) keep on asking me about the projects. I do not have anything than to tell them to wait,” he said.

Interestingly, several Dalit women representatives in the ward offices of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) too are deprived of their roles and are almost passive. Dalit woman member Mina Sunar of Kathmandu Metropolitan City -1 recalls an instance when she had to put her signatures on the decisions of four meetings, which she never attended, on the same day in February 2019.

This was, however, not her first experience since the ward, since the past two years, had set practice of signing the minutes of at least three to four meetings on a single day.

“When I refuse to sign, the ward chairperson comes with the minute trying to me of allocating budget next time.”

Sangita Achhami, elected from Lalitpur Metropolitan City-14, conducted a three-month-long program on informal education for women of her ward with a small amount of budget allocated in the current fiscal year.

Since then, being a people’s representative, she has not been able to bring in any other projects. Sangita, who is also an executive member, has been deprived of the budget when she sought for the same for Dalit women. She receives a negative response and even gets criticized for raising the issues of Dalit women. “They suggest me to focus on development issues,” says Sangita.

However, the role of ward members is comparatively effective in those wards, which as a Dalit ward chief. Dalit woman member Silsari Devi BK of Dhangadi sub-metropolitan city-17 was invited to attend a meeting at the Sajjan Basic School at 11 am on 19th of March, 2019 to discuss the inability to provide salary to temporary teachers of the school. She said, “We, being people’s representatives, should remain busy in people’s work.”

Other ward members of the sub-metropolitan city have also been entrusted with one responsibility or the other. For instance, Dharma Devi Sarki of ward-6 remains busy in construction of electricity infrastructure, road, and other construction works. “I am satisfied with my work. I am engaged with the people,” says Sarki.

Dalit women members of Dhangadi sub-metropolitan city feel less stressed since the ward is headed by Mayor Nrip Bahadur Oad, a Dalit. Says Oad, “We have distributed the work as per their interest, their expertise and their ability. I have not received any grudges from the members so far.”

Likewise, Dalit women feel comfortable in the ward which has a woman ward chairperson. Lal Kumari Rasaili, a Dalit woman member of Mali village municipality-5 of Myagdi district, is satisfied with her job and responsibility. Pipala Buda is the ward chairperson of the ward. Rasaili, who feels comfortable to work with a lady ward chairperson, says: “We carry out tasks on the basis of consensus. I find it easy to work with a woman. We are making all efforts to work for the people’s wellbeing.”

According to her, all five members work as a team, which makes their work easier since all of them have been elected by the people.

Disregarding responsibility

The Local Government Operation Act has the provision that a chief should delegate the responsibility to a ward member, basically the most senior representative, and inform this to the chief of the village municipality or the municipality in his/her absence.

The Act also mentions about the roles, responsibilities, and rights of the Mayors/Chiefs, Deputy Mayors, Ward Chairpersons/Members, among others, and that has to be followed mandatorily.

However, Renu Sijapati, Chairperson of FEDA opines that there are instances that the provision has been flouted in several ward offices when it comes to bestowing the responsibility to Dalit women members.

Even educated and those having a good social network and reputation are deprived of such responsibilities. Parbati Bhul of Baitadi, Januka Gahatraj of Dolakha, Bhawani Mahara, and Anamika of Nawalparasi are such examples.

Januka, who has completed her Plus 2, says, “It seems that only so-called upper castes only get the responsibilities. The provision is not meant for Dalit women.”

Clause 16 (Ga) of the Act mentions the work, responsibility, and right of a ward chairperson that includes coordination and facilitation of the ward members. Likewise, the Act entrusts the ward chairperson with more than 80 tasks and responsibilities, including planning, implementation, and monitoring, recommendation, among others.

However, failure on the part of the ward chairpersons to abide by their duties and responsibilities has left the Dalit women members in a lurch with any role or responsibility. Krishna Prasad Sapkota, a local government affairs expert, believes that the ward members need to carry out their duties as per the Act even if the ward chairpersons seem to be ignoring them.

“Elected representatives should have the get-up-and-go attitude, not wait for the ward chairpersons to instruct them,” Sapkota says adding, “They (ward members) should unitedly raise their voices seeking their roles.”

Min Basnet, who has studied “Comparative Federalism” in the United Kingdom, argues that the right and duties of the elected members have to be clearly mentioned in the Act. “The problems would not have arisen had the terms and conditions, as well as the responsibilities bestowed to concerned representatives or the Dalit women members, had been provisioned in the Act.”

If this is not done, the ward member’s job would be to put in their signatures in the minutes, which will have an adverse consequence to them in the long run.

A former member of National Women Commission (NWC) Dhan Kumari Sunar said barring a few, the trend of undermining the role of Dalit woman members has been on a rise. “When educated Dalit woman members are invited only to sign in the meeting minutes, imagine the situation of the women in rural areas,” she says terming this tendency as unfortunate. “Several illiterate women do not even gather the courage to inquire what’s written in the decision,” she said.

Dalit women ward members

A ward defines the role and responsibility of Dalit women members according to their qualification, ability, and skills. Says Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister, Lal Babu Pandit, “Barring a few, the Center cannot dictate the wards to provide responsibility to a woman of the backward communities since the ward itself is a government.”

According to 2068 census, the population of Dalits is 13.8 percent. The Election Commission’s data shows a total of 6 thousand 567 Dalit women have been elected as ward members.

“This is the first time that the country has seen such a substantial number of women representatives forget about the Dalit women representatives,” Sijapati says. “This historic representation of Dalit women has to be treasured. Their role should not be confined to put in their signatures only.”