Privacy matters

The 2012 eviction of the Paurauki squatter community along the Bagmati River, demolished private spaces for residents to bathe.  Women and children were bathing outside in the open, and suffered from the lack of privacy. INCLUDED supported the Kalika Women Community Organization (Mom’s Club) recognize the need for a safe place for everyone, particularly adolescent girls and women to be able to bathe.

The bathing spaces are built in three different locations in the community to ensure that the most people have access. INCLUDED through it partner GUTHI provided the funding for the materials, and the community contributed with labor. The work on the bathing structures was finished in November 2014. “Everyday 90 people benefit from having a safe space to bathe,” said Januka Pokhrael, a member of Kalika Women Community Organization.

Smriti Karki, a program officer at INLCUDED said,” I would always see women bathing in the open during visits to the community.  Now, it is rare to see people bathing in the open, as a private and safe space to bathe is available. I am very pleased to see the mom’s club very instrumental in addressing women’s safety”

Following to the importance of this support the community received additional support from a philanthropist to build additional 3 more bathing units on the other side of the settlement. “However, it was not easy to being the work,” recalled Harimaya Jimba, a chairperson to the committee. “The police guarding the area did not want materials brought into the community, disallowing the community would build a permanent structure. The mother’s club had a dialogue with the police to explain the urgency in the community and negotiated to get a node for the cause,” she laughed.

 

 

 

 

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