Today

Junkumari has left her husband and asked WF for support. She heard about them in the media. What she longed for more than anything was that her children would be able to go to school but she could not afford the cost alone. Her two children have now been admitted at Womens’ Foundation shelter for children and she has enrolled them at school under her own family name thanks to WF’s support. She has attended a weaving training that gives her the opportunity to work on a regular basis for Maheela, WF Production center.

Her story

When she was 14 years old, she was raped and became pregnant. According to Nepali law, if a man rapes a women, he becomes her new husband… It is considered that the women has the responsibility of what has happened. If she was already married, her former husband receives money as a compensation.
 
Junkumari and her husband have had two children, a boy and a girl. The husband was a taxi driver and made a living of it, except that he used to drink a good deal of it and did not support her at all financially, not even to feed the children. He often came back home drunk, shout at her and beat her. He also regularly beat the children who were terrorised. She was afraid he might end up killing one of them.

Her marriage had not been officially registered as her husband did not want to – this is very common in Nepal, usually the testimony of relatives and the community is suficient to officialize a marriage. Her husband did not want to register the children either, nevertheless this is mandatory for them to be able to enjoy Nepali citizenship or to be enrolled in a school.
Junkumari used to work in a carpet manufacture as a wool spinner. Her wage was 15 roupees/day, or in very good times - when she was working 18h a day - up to 200 roupees (about 2 €). She was also a street seller but it was not enough to cover everyday expenses and to pay bills.