KATHMANDU, MARCH 14

Youths from various backgrounds have highlighted the contribution of women leaders through an exhibition.

The exhibition titled 'Tyranny of Exclusion' held at Patan Museum depicts the contribution of women leaders, It highlights the contributions of Nepali Women in the politics of Nepal Nepali Congress Joint Secretary Dina Upadhay said, 'Nepali women have always played a crucial role in the country's political development from historic to contemporary times.'

'However, their tales of bravery are erased from history books and their existence is tokenised in modern politics. That is the 'Tyranny of Exclusion', where despite the evident contributions, their chronicles are undocumented and overshadowed by the glorification of male leaders,' added Upadhaya.

Considering the historical oppression and current underrepresentation of women in governmental domains, the project 'The Tyranny of Exclusion' aims to challenge the traditional narrative that often downplays their contributions and exhibits the important role played by women in shaping the political landscape of Nepal through photographs, videos, and historical archives.

The exhibition showcases around 90 pictures of the most courageous women leaders from Yogmaya Neupane to Sobita Gautam. Historic photographs of Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Onsari Gharti Magar, rare photos of Astalaxmi Shakya, Sahana Pradhan, Mangala Devi and Shailaja Acharya were also showcased.

The exhibition covers different movements across different time periods like the People's Movement, Tharu Movement, Tarai Movement, Maoist Insurgency period wherein women were seen in action and power.

The youths tried to make the exhibition inclusive to celebrate rebellious 'royal' women like Kamal Rana and Rashmi Rajya Laxmi Shah who defied their own tyranny, to women from marginalised and Dalit communities like Shanta Chaudhary and Jhowa BK who have been fighting to challenge those very norms.

Heartfelt letters from Hisila Yami to her daughter during the insurgency period and letter from Mangala Devi Singh to her mother while in prison, along with symbolic art and portraits by renowned artists like Sushma Rajbhandari and KK Karmacharcya were also put on display.

The event concluded with a panel discussion with Bimala Rai paudyal, Dina Upadhyaya and Reeta Pariyar The exhibition was curated and organised by Mega Maskey, Abhijeet Adhikari and Satyam Shiva Mishra, with the support of Nepal Leadership Academy and International Republican Institute.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 15, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.