Help Nepal to support victims of harmful traditional practices

Help Nepal to support victims of harmful traditional practices


Portfolio Description

Every year, in Nepal, caste-based discrimination and harmful traditional practices affect thousands of people from different vulnerable communities: widows, members of the so-called Dalit caste, alleged witches, and girl-children. The Society for Humanism Nepal (SOCH Nepal) is the only humanist organization in the country and has always been at the forefront of the campaign to tackle this inhumane persecution and to provide assistance to its victims.

For example, a report from SOCH Nepal has found out that every year at least 26 women are killed by harmful traditional practices such as witch-hunting, dowry-related murders, and the so-called Chhaupadi tradition – an harmful cult practice that forces impure women to live in a hut during menstruation or childbirth.

At the same time, SOCH Nepal has identified more than 63 local cults which encourage the killing of the above mentioned vulnerable members of society. Because of this persecution, every year hundreds of people are left either mentally or physically damaged. Survivors are not able to hire lawyers to fight for their rights, nor to pay for adequate treatments in hospitals. And since the perpetrators are often the local elites, authorities are reluctant to prosecute them.

Humanists International is raising funds on behalf of SOCH Nepal to support its work to assist victims of caste discrimination and harmful traditional practices in Nepal.

All donations to this campaign will be used by SOCH Nepal to:

1) Provide medical assistance to survivors

2) Hire lawyers to bring justice to the victims

3) Provide education to children of marginalized families

4) Assist individuals at risk with relocation to a safer environment

5) Raise awareness about caste discrimination in Nepal, both nationally and internationally

Any donation can make a difference. Thank you for your generous support to bring these inhumane traditions to an end.

For any information about the project or to request an interview to discuss the situation of caste discrimination in Nepal, please contact sochnepal@gmail.com

All funds raised by Humanists International will be transferred in their entirety to Society for Humanism Nepal, without any administrative fees. Any funds unspent by SOCH Nepal will be used by Humanists International to assist the growth and development of humanist organizations in developing countries.