Nepal's New Political Landscape: Hope Arrives, but Safety of Women and Children Remains the True Test

by Sharda Parajuli

Opinion: Today, I write from California in the United States, reflecting on the journey that took me from a remote village shaped by conflict to a life built through resilience and opportunity. My hope is that with the new dawn of Nepal's political landscape after the landslide victory of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in this past week's general election, Nepal is entering a new era of politically stable governance where people can be assured of their safety, dignity, and prosperity.

When Democracy Promised Everything

When Nepal restored multiparty democracy in 1990 after the People's Movement, hope spread across the country from the crowded streets of cities to the remote hills where villages were separated by rivers, forests, and days of walking. Many believed the end of absolute monarchy would bring accountability, justice, and equal opportunity. I was a child growing up in a remote village in Nepal during the early 1990s, born into a poor family and raised in a geography where steep hills, limited roads, and distant schools already created barriers to opportunity. Democracy sounded promising when adults spoke about it on village radios and in community gatherings. But when the Nepalese Civil War began in 1996, that fragile hope was quickly replaced by fear.

From Insurgency to Uncertainty: The Untold Cost on Women and Children

The insurgency led by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) transformed quiet rural communities into tense and uncertain spaces. As children, we grew up hearing distant gunfire, watching schools close without warning, and seeing neighbors disappear overnight.

The Staggering Human Toll

According to reports by the United Nations and Nepal's National Human Rights Commission, between 13,000-17,000 people were killed, over 1,300 forcibly disappeared, and more than 200,000 people were internally displaced during the decade-long conflict—many of them women and children. For those of us in rural communities, the war was not a distant political struggle discussed in parliament. It was our daily reality.

When Women Became the Invisible Victims

As a child living through that period, I witnessed how the burden of the conflict fell disproportionately on women. Sisters, mothers, and aunts suddenly lost husbands, sons, and brothers, becoming the sole providers for families overnight. Women worked fields alone, carried food across dangerous terrain, and cared for children and elderly relatives with little support.

I remember my mother warning us that if we heard dogs barking at night or the heavy sound of boots on village paths, we should stay silent, hold our breath, and pretend we did not exist. Those nights felt endless and terrifying. The next morning, the radio would often bring grim news: a bomb explosion in a nearby district, a school attacked, a police post burned, teachers threatened, or civilians killed.

These were not isolated stories—they were the rhythm of life during the war. Schools closed, health posts disappeared, and markets collapsed. For children growing up in poverty and geographic isolation, education required walking hours through hills, often under the shadow of violence. These experiences shaped a generation of girls who learned resilience early but carried trauma that rarely entered national conversations.

Peace on Paper, Justice Still Distant

Even after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed on November 21, 2006, formally ending Nepal's Civil War, justice has remained far from reach for many families affected by the conflict. Institutions such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission were established to investigate wartime abuses, yet thousands of families are still waiting for answers about loved ones who disappeared during the decade-long war.

Many civilians, particularly women, were heavily impacted by torture, arbitrary arrests, and sexual violence during the conflict. Research shows that women accounted for approximately 11 percent of all documented fatalities, representing about 1,665 deaths out of 15,026 recorded cases.

At the same time, women were also active participants in the conflict, with estimates suggesting that 24 to 33 percent of Maoist combatants were women. Beyond these numbers, the social consequences were profound: an estimated 9,000 women lost their husbands during the war, forcing many into sudden economic and social hardship, while hundreds of women survived conflict-related sexual violence that remains significantly underreported and largely unresolved even today.

Migration: A Survival Strategy Built on Sacrifice

As I grew into youth and adulthood, the legacy of war continued to shape everyday life. Poverty, instability, and limited opportunities pushed many families from rural villages toward cities such as Kathmandu, seeking safety and economic survival. But migration was not always a solution. Millions of Nepalis eventually left the country entirely for survival, leaving families behind not knowing whether they would ever see them again. Migration became both a survival strategy and a painful sacrifice.

Violence That Outlasted the War

Violence against women and children did not end with the war. Cases like the rape and murder of Nirmala Panta in 2018 shocked the nation and sparked protests demanding justice, yet the case remains unresolved years later. Similarly, the killing of Bhagirathi Bhatta in 2021 and caste-based violence during the Rukum killings exposed deep failures within Nepal's justice and protection systems.

Human rights organizations continue to document thousands of cases of domestic violence, rape, trafficking, and abuse of women and children each year. For many survivors, justice moves slowly—if it arrives at all.

My Journey: From Village Trauma to Global Advocacy

Like many women raised in adversity, my life was shaped by poverty, geography, disability, and the instability of war. As a child, I saw how conflict entered villages. As a young woman, I watched families migrate to survive. And as an adult, I continue to reflect on the contrast between the sacrifices made by ordinary citizens and the protection often enjoyed by political elites.

Nepal has achieved historic milestones, including the Constituent Assembly election, which abolished the monarchy and established the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Yet, stability and justice remain incomplete.

Nepal at the Crossroads Again: Will This Time Be Different?

More than three decades after the democratic movement began, Nepal once again stands at a crossroads. The stories of conflict-affected women and children remind us that democracy cannot be measured only by elections, constitutions, or political transitions—it must also be judged by how well it protects the most vulnerable. For those who lived through war, displacement, and poverty, the lesson is clear: democracy should not only change who holds power, but transform how power serves and protects the people.

A Mandate Brings Hope—and Heavy Responsibility

As citizens place their trust and a strong mandate in the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), it brings both hope and responsibility. Nepal is navigating a difficult moment, yet it also holds the possibility of renewal. If leaders listen sincerely to the voices of those who have endured conflict, injustice, and hardship—and stand beside them even when solutions take time—that mandate can become more than political victory. It can become a step toward rebuilding trust, strengthening democracy, and creating a future where the sacrifices of the past lead to lasting change.

About the Author

Ms. Sharda Parajuli lives in California, USA.

Ms. Sharda received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree and double Master's degrees in Public Administration (MPA) from the Public Administration Campus in Kathmandu, Nepal, as well as a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from Lincoln University in Downtown Oakland, California.

Ms. Sharda is a polio survivor who started advocating for herself in 1998 through the child club in her village. She started her advocacy journey from her village and has made a remarkable contribution in the field of child rights and advocacy about child rights, equality, and disability at the national and international level. Sharda was one of the youths with disability to raise a strong voice about inclusion policy at the national level. One of her remarkable contributions was a fundraising campaign for Save the Children Norway in 2003 in close cooperation with Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, where she was able to raise $18,456,793.00 for the education of those deprived of basic education in poor countries like Cambodia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Nepal, etc.

Ms. Sharda has been a source of inspiration for youth in her community and has set an example that if an opportunity is given, anything is possible. Despite her disability, being born into a poor and illiterate family, and being a victim of civil war in the early 2000s, Sharda makes it clear that her disability is not an inability. She has shared her story of struggle in front of thousands of youths in different universities and colleges in Nepal and Norway, and has been able to motivate youths in many ways. At the same time, she has made a great contribution to the community and is an active Board member at a youth-led organization.

Ms. Sharda has been a member of the Board at ILRSCC since August 2017.

Independent Living Resources of Solano & Contra Costa Counties began as a grass-roots effort by people with disabilities to help those with disabilities. This history gives ILRSCC the unique ability to provide services for and address issues concerning the Disability Community.

Learn more about her and ILRSCC at:

https://www.ilrscc.org/about-us/