World Vision Nepal

Tika Devi and Manju Pariyar are the beneficiaries of the Women’s Dialogue group, a programme under the Rupandehi HIV Prevention Project, introduced in 2007 in Butwal ADP. This programme is focused on village teenage girls, mothers and young brides.

A team of 20, in every women’s group meet once every month, where facilitators and mobilisers from Butwal ADP and their partner organisation conduct the meeting sessions. These sessions are held solely for the purpose of giving information and making illiterate women like Tika and Manju, aware of HIV and AIDS, STIs, drug abuse, nutrition, different components of reproductive health, and immunisation.

Social, cultural and religious taboos and stigmas are an integral part of Nepalese culture and society, especially in Tika and Manju’s village, Makrahar Village Development Committee (VDC), Butwal, Rupandehi. When it comes to issues dealing with sex and sexuality, people are very hesitant to talk. HIV and AIDS is the most taboo topic. Superstition and ignorance play a major role in hiding the topic and communities react very negatively when women talk about it, which gives rise to more and more suffering. For years, Tika and Manju had their own share of sufferings; however, things have changed for them after Butwal ADP’s intervention.

Butwal ADP is supporting women like Tika and Manju in empowering village women and helping them get rid of social taboos and superstitions that afflict them. Now, the village people’s conceptions of people living with HIV and AIDS have also changed. Being associated with the group has not only made the women more aware and empowered, they have even started to view things in a broader perspective and take preventive measures.

Manju Pariyar, 26, member of ‘Jeevan Jyoti’ (Light of Life) Women’s Dialogue group says, “My husband is working in India. After I became associated with this group and started learning things about HIV and AIDS, STIs, I immediately called him up and taught him of condom use.”

There are around 1,200 women like Tika and Manju, trying to learn and teach others through their involvement in the women’s dialogue group. WVIN’s Butwal ADP is supporting more than 60 women’s dialogue group in all its working areas.

Tika concludes, “In our male-dominated village, World Vision (WV) has been able to help women become bold and speak up for themselves. WV has been able to awaken us. All we knew is that HIV AIDS was a lethal disease, which kills people, but now we are fully aware of its preventive and survival measures.”