Kathmandu, '81
Women from all walks of life gather for a mass meeting in Kathmandu to submit a letter of protest to the government following the rape and murder of sisters Namita and Sunita Bhandari in Pokhara that rocked the country. Hisila Yami Collection/Nepal Picture Library

Rolpa, '98
Journalist Amrita Lamsal and friend Gyanu Pandey trekking in Rolpa to cover the incipient Maoist Insurgency. Amrita Lamsal Collection/Nepal Picture Library

Kathmandu, '79
Annapurna Kunwar performs parajumping over Chobar, becoming the first Nepali woman to do so. She had heard a soldier brag about his parajumping feats at the Army Hospital where she worked as a nurse, which stayed on her mind.

When an ex-Army chief promised her a favour after being impressed with her nursing work, she asked to be allowed to do this. Annapurna Kunwar Collection/Nepal Picture Library

Makwanpur, '56

A working crew of predominantly women dig up the Tribhuvan Highway, Nepal's first motorable highway linking Kathmandu to Raxaul, India. Meena Acharya Collection/Nepal Picture Library

Kathmandu, c.'35
Chandra Kanta Devi Malla, known as the first “guruama” of Nepal, with other instructors and students. Chandra Kanta Devi Malla Collection/Nepal Picture Library

At a time when public education was seen by the ruling elites as perilous and women’s schools were unheard of, Chandra Kanta managed to convince the Rana government against the odds to let her open a girls’ school in Makhantole.

When Sahana Pradhan returned with her family to Kathmandu from Burma at age 13, her schooling was suddenly stopped and her movement controlled. She could not tolerate it. The desire to continue her education led her to join the struggle to end Rana oligarchy of the time.

After her first arrest for attending political protest in 1947, she was one of the protesters who was granted an audience with Prime Minister Padma Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. She used the chance to demand the opening of Durbar High School to women. https://kathmandupost.com/special-supplement/2019/02/18/test-20190218154037

Kathmandu, '61

Prem Kumari Tamang of Nuwakot and Lal Maya Tamang of Dhading put in Dillibazar Prison for their opposition of King Mahendra’s coup d’état. Shanta Shrestha Collection/Nepal Picture Library

Photograph of one of the Tharu women from Karjahi, Dang who led a peasants’ revolt against the abuses of local landlords in 1980.
Karjahi Movement Collection/Nepal Picture Library

The landlords had started intimidating peasants and vandalising their property with police help following the national land tenure reform of 1979, compelling these women to take action.

Kathmandu, '80

Mangala Devi Singh addresses a crowd after Nepal Women’s Association, along with Nepali Congress Party, resurfaced from hiding for the 1980 referendum between a non-partisan Panchayat system and a multi-party system.

Known as “Mechiki Didi”, Saraswati Rai campaigned for girls’ education in Ilam through the 1950s. She had fielded her name for the 1959 election but was told by the male leaders of the Congress Party that the timing was not right.

The following year she started her long career as Ilam’s district president of the Panchayat’s women’s organisation.

During her tenure, she traveled widely across the country to promote women’s literacy and raise awareness about social discriminations. Saraswati Rai Collection/Nepal Picture Library

Doti, '64

Gomati Shrestha, who always excelled in her classes, holds tuition for children at her home. Gomati Shrestha Collection/Nepal Picture Library

Shanghai, China, '63

Shashikala Sharma stops by Shanghai during an international tour that covered the Soviet Union, China, Burma, and East Pakistan. Shashikala Sharma Collection/Nepal Picture Library

Nawalparasi, '86

A group of women training to be officers for Women Development Division on their way to Rajahar, Nawalparasi. Prativa Subedi Collection /Nepal Picture Library

Biratnagar, 2004
Women workers at a jute textile factory in Biratnagar. GEFONT Collection/Nepal Picture Library