Dang, September 19:

The Dang chapter of the Women’s Human Rights Network today came out in support of Badi women, who are agitating in Kathmandu, and staged a two-hour sit-in outside the Dang district administration office. It also sent a memorandum to Prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala through chief district officer Mohan Krishna Sapkota urging Koirala to address the issues of the Badi women at the earliest.

The memorandum signed by network president Laxmi Acharya said that over 20 women’s organisations in the district are strongly supporting the Badi women and want the government to meet their demands. The memorandum urged the government to set up a commission to tackle the problem of the Badi community and also to provide them land. It urged the government to provide at least three bighas of land to each Badi family. The network also asked the government to rescue the Badi women from their age-old profession of flesh trade and arrange for their respectable livelihood.

It called for equitable representation of the Badis in the coming constituent assembly. The memorandum also urged the government to provide free education to Badi children up to higher secondary level, scholarships to Badi students, ensure representation of Badis in the Dalit commission, Dalit development committee, women’s commission, and human rights commission. It also urged the government to address the 26-point charter of demands put forth by the Badis.