Face to Face
Manchala Jha
Manchala Jha is a Freelance Columinist, Political Commentator and a Lawyer. As a women rights activist and as a writer she has contributed a lot for the empowerment of Nepali women through her articles and write-ups.
What is your opinion on VAWIP?
Well what I feel is that in the near future, women will mostly face violence in politics. In the yesteryears, women were mostly victims of domestic violence but in the recent years they are victims of political violence.
As I am a politician and a woman, what I think is that behind much violence, politics has its cause. While working for women’s rights, what I feel is that when perpetrators are found guilty and taken to jails, they are mostly released due to political influences. So the perpetrators roam about freely. The reason behind this is that that the perpetrators receive political protection.
Women have learnt to seek their own rights. In Nepal due to women’s movement , 33% reservation quota for women has been passed in the parliament .As women become more aware and begin to ask for their rights , the society mainly their male counterparts cannot accept this. Moreover, if women enter politics they will be able to form polices for their rights, which is not accepted by men. So women aspiring to enter into politics face various forms of violence and intimidation. In my opinion, women in politics mainly face character assassination and women when questioned about their character are forced to leave politics.
Women are victims of violence and in the coming days as women come forward in politics they will face lots of political violence.
Being a lawyer and a politician, how do you relate law and politics?
As a lawyer and a politician what I feel is, law is important. However only law is not enough, its proper implementation is indeed very important. For example, in Nepal there is law against domestic violence faced by women but its implementation mostly in rural areas is very weak. The sad part is women in rural areas are not even aware that such law exists.
In the context of Nepal, what is your opinion on the situation and opportunities of women in politics?
Well, the opportunities for women in politics have increased in the recent years. In the past, there were hardly few women in politics, but the scenario has changed in the present context. Quota and reservation have helped women to come up in positions in politics. For example, in our Madeshi community, there were hardly any women in politics, in the past. I used to be alone inpolitical rallies. However, nowadays, there are many women from Madeshi group as well, which is positive.
Would you like to add any last comment? I would like to say that it is very important that women come up in politics. Without being involved in politics, women’s rights cannot be ensured in any field because plans and policies are made through politics. Thus, I strongly recommend women to be involved in politics.
