Finding a voice: A report on Ganga Neupane, Bhutanese refugee living in the US
Posted 11:53 PM by Internal Voices in Labels: 7th edition
Simona Donini, intern at UNRIC, Italy, San Marino, Malta and the Holy See desk, in Brussels
“My family was compelled to leave Bhutan, it was not voluntary. My Father was arrested and released in poor health. [The] army used to come home and ask for grown up daughters. It is a known fact that spending refugee life for too long is very miserable. Slowly, our ramshackle huts of bamboo having thatch roof and plastic are turning into our permanent homes. There are no means to come into normal state as we have a disturbed mind, indefinite exile life and no future to our aims and desires. When I was a schooling girl in Bhutan I used to tell my teachers that I would become a lawyer in future. Who must be held responsible to make me unable to fulfill my aim?” (Ganga Neupane, SAARC meeting, Kathmandu 23 March 2007)
Ganga Neupane is one of the southern Bhutanese women of Nepali origin who was forced to flee Bhutan and live in a refugee camp for 17 years. I first met Ganga in Kathmandu during a South Asian Associate for Regional Corporation (SAARC) meeting where she gave a presentation on Bhutanese refugee women. Her passionate commitment, continuous activism, energy and her struggle to survive in a world that abuses, overlooks and discriminates against women struck a deep chord with me. I am privileged that she has shared her story with me, which then became the topic of my dissertation, and is now the basis for this article.
My research discussed gender-based violence (GBV) experienced by female Bhutanese refugees and emphasised that a continuum of violence (Cockborn, 2004) has persisted in Bhutanese women’s lives from one phase to the next: in peace time, during the ethnic conflict and in displacement. It highlighted that violence against Bhutanese women was not only a manifestation of the political violence or ethnic conflict, but was present in domestic life before and was enforced in refugees camps, bred by frustration, boredom, unemployment and so on. The situation was perpetrated not only by the Bhutanese community but also by the Nepalese society in the form of discrimination. Instead of focusing on gender-based violence in the camps I am going to show how displacement can be, at times, a means by which women find a voice.
After her arrival in the camps Ganga thought she would not have the chance to study. Luckily she was able to go to school and with great difficulties her mother managed, by selling her jewellery, to send her to do higher education studies. After graduating she became an assistant teacher in Beldang II camp school. As well as Ganga many Bhutanese women, thanks to the help of Oxfam, have learnt to read and write and then become activists strongly committed to raising women’s awareness. Ganga and her colleague founded the only independent women’s organisation in the camps “Voice for Change,” which advocates for women’s rights. Voice for Change has given women the opportunity to meet together, to express themselves and defend themselves against violence. It has helped to raise women’s voices and has created a platform for discussion, for sharing experiences, and finding solutions. They also both conduct a radio program named Saranarthi Sarokar (Refugee Concern) broadcasted in Jhapa and Morang camps aimed at highlighting issues, informing women, and helping them understand the problems they face. Their advocacy activities have been sustained by local NGOs such as TEW Nepal, by The Global Fund for Women and INGOs. It can be argued that external influences by international aid workers have clearly created the terrain for changes through programs, which include training, information support services for local women and public education events.
Ganga’s creation of a positive environment for women has, however, been constrained by some political organisations such as the Bhutan People’s Party, which has continuously tried to limit their initiatives by imposing restrictions at the implementation stage of activities in the camps and by menacing and terrorising members. In particular, during public talks in the presence of BBC reporters or UNHCR personnel, people often have threatened women for talking. Women were also denied participation in the indefinite sit-in protest in front of the UN building coordinated by the Bhutanese Refugee Repatriation Representative committee which was seeking the UN’s help to resolve refugee problems. On this occasion in 2006, an influential Bhutanese leader threatened their personal security and also attempted to violate women’s right of expression and participation. Though political organisations silenced women’s voices, with the help of NGOs she continued to implement her communication campaign trying to make women understand that they are not less valuable than men and that violence against women is intolerable. It is a great achievement that she has helped to even break a bit of the culture of silence. However, changing attitudes is difficult. While programs and policies can support these changes, only people can modify their own attitudes, and it is a very long process.
An instance of potential positive change among Bhutanese refugees occurred in early 2008, when several countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Norway and New Zealand, began to accept tens of thousands of Bhutanese refugees. Since the bilateral talks between Nepal and Bhutan have ended with no solution to the refugee crises, as Ganga has said, “to guarantee the normal and secured lives of women, only third country resettlement would help” (SAARC meeting, March 2007). In March 2008, resettlement started for 828 refugees and Ganga was one of them. Each refugee has been sponsored by NGOs that have provided housing, food, clothes, English classes and help in searching for jobs. GBV cases have been given the priority for resettlement.
Ganga was nervous when she first landed in the United States of America on March 26 with her husband and 5-year-old daughter. She currently lives in Phoenix (Arizona) and works as a Refugee Case Manager at the Lutheran Social Service (LSS) in the Southwest of Arizona. Besides picking up the newcomers from the airport, she assists them with their immediate requirements, which may include regular home visits, department of security interviews, schooling for children and appointments with doctors for medical assistance.
Migration scholars have shown that the concept of the male role as breadwinner sometimes becomes inadequate after immigration. Migrant women often become the provider for their families because they adapt better and are more willing to accept any kind of job in order to help the family (Matsouka and Sorenson 1999). Gender relations within the families are challenged and empowerment and opportunities accompany difficulty and losses. While resettlement is, for many, not the ideal solution -- many women would prefer to see empowerment within their own country -- it could present more opportunities for women and further steps toward empowerment. Because the resettlement phase is in its infancy, we will have to wait a few more years to properly assess how resettlement affects these Bhutanese women’s live. ■
References
“My family was compelled to leave Bhutan, it was not voluntary. My Father was arrested and released in poor health. [The] army used to come home and ask for grown up daughters. It is a known fact that spending refugee life for too long is very miserable. Slowly, our ramshackle huts of bamboo having thatch roof and plastic are turning into our permanent homes. There are no means to come into normal state as we have a disturbed mind, indefinite exile life and no future to our aims and desires. When I was a schooling girl in Bhutan I used to tell my teachers that I would become a lawyer in future. Who must be held responsible to make me unable to fulfill my aim?” (Ganga Neupane, SAARC meeting, Kathmandu 23 March 2007)
Ganga Neupane is one of the southern Bhutanese women of Nepali origin who was forced to flee Bhutan and live in a refugee camp for 17 years. I first met Ganga in Kathmandu during a South Asian Associate for Regional Corporation (SAARC) meeting where she gave a presentation on Bhutanese refugee women. Her passionate commitment, continuous activism, energy and her struggle to survive in a world that abuses, overlooks and discriminates against women struck a deep chord with me. I am privileged that she has shared her story with me, which then became the topic of my dissertation, and is now the basis for this article.
My research discussed gender-based violence (GBV) experienced by female Bhutanese refugees and emphasised that a continuum of violence (Cockborn, 2004) has persisted in Bhutanese women’s lives from one phase to the next: in peace time, during the ethnic conflict and in displacement. It highlighted that violence against Bhutanese women was not only a manifestation of the political violence or ethnic conflict, but was present in domestic life before and was enforced in refugees camps, bred by frustration, boredom, unemployment and so on. The situation was perpetrated not only by the Bhutanese community but also by the Nepalese society in the form of discrimination. Instead of focusing on gender-based violence in the camps I am going to show how displacement can be, at times, a means by which women find a voice.
After her arrival in the camps Ganga thought she would not have the chance to study. Luckily she was able to go to school and with great difficulties her mother managed, by selling her jewellery, to send her to do higher education studies. After graduating she became an assistant teacher in Beldang II camp school. As well as Ganga many Bhutanese women, thanks to the help of Oxfam, have learnt to read and write and then become activists strongly committed to raising women’s awareness. Ganga and her colleague founded the only independent women’s organisation in the camps “Voice for Change,” which advocates for women’s rights. Voice for Change has given women the opportunity to meet together, to express themselves and defend themselves against violence. It has helped to raise women’s voices and has created a platform for discussion, for sharing experiences, and finding solutions. They also both conduct a radio program named Saranarthi Sarokar (Refugee Concern) broadcasted in Jhapa and Morang camps aimed at highlighting issues, informing women, and helping them understand the problems they face. Their advocacy activities have been sustained by local NGOs such as TEW Nepal, by The Global Fund for Women and INGOs. It can be argued that external influences by international aid workers have clearly created the terrain for changes through programs, which include training, information support services for local women and public education events.
Ganga’s creation of a positive environment for women has, however, been constrained by some political organisations such as the Bhutan People’s Party, which has continuously tried to limit their initiatives by imposing restrictions at the implementation stage of activities in the camps and by menacing and terrorising members. In particular, during public talks in the presence of BBC reporters or UNHCR personnel, people often have threatened women for talking. Women were also denied participation in the indefinite sit-in protest in front of the UN building coordinated by the Bhutanese Refugee Repatriation Representative committee which was seeking the UN’s help to resolve refugee problems. On this occasion in 2006, an influential Bhutanese leader threatened their personal security and also attempted to violate women’s right of expression and participation. Though political organisations silenced women’s voices, with the help of NGOs she continued to implement her communication campaign trying to make women understand that they are not less valuable than men and that violence against women is intolerable. It is a great achievement that she has helped to even break a bit of the culture of silence. However, changing attitudes is difficult. While programs and policies can support these changes, only people can modify their own attitudes, and it is a very long process.
An instance of potential positive change among Bhutanese refugees occurred in early 2008, when several countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Norway and New Zealand, began to accept tens of thousands of Bhutanese refugees. Since the bilateral talks between Nepal and Bhutan have ended with no solution to the refugee crises, as Ganga has said, “to guarantee the normal and secured lives of women, only third country resettlement would help” (SAARC meeting, March 2007). In March 2008, resettlement started for 828 refugees and Ganga was one of them. Each refugee has been sponsored by NGOs that have provided housing, food, clothes, English classes and help in searching for jobs. GBV cases have been given the priority for resettlement.
Ganga was nervous when she first landed in the United States of America on March 26 with her husband and 5-year-old daughter. She currently lives in Phoenix (Arizona) and works as a Refugee Case Manager at the Lutheran Social Service (LSS) in the Southwest of Arizona. Besides picking up the newcomers from the airport, she assists them with their immediate requirements, which may include regular home visits, department of security interviews, schooling for children and appointments with doctors for medical assistance.
Migration scholars have shown that the concept of the male role as breadwinner sometimes becomes inadequate after immigration. Migrant women often become the provider for their families because they adapt better and are more willing to accept any kind of job in order to help the family (Matsouka and Sorenson 1999). Gender relations within the families are challenged and empowerment and opportunities accompany difficulty and losses. While resettlement is, for many, not the ideal solution -- many women would prefer to see empowerment within their own country -- it could present more opportunities for women and further steps toward empowerment. Because the resettlement phase is in its infancy, we will have to wait a few more years to properly assess how resettlement affects these Bhutanese women’s live. ■
References
- C. Cockburn, “The Continuum of Violence: A Greater Perspective on War and Peace,” in W. Giles and J. Hyndman, Sites of Violence: Gender and Conflict Zones. London: University of California Press, 2004.
- J. El Bushra and K.Fish, “Refugees and IDP” in Inclusive Security, Sustainable Peace: a Tool Kit for Advocacy and Action London, 2004 pp. 1-17.
- W. Giles, “Gendered Violence in War: Reflections on Tran-nationalist and Comparative Frameworks in Militarized Conflicts Zones,” in D. Indra, Engendering Forced Migration Knowledge and Practice. Oxford: Berghahn, 1999.
- Matsuoka and J. Sorenson, “Eritrean Canadian in Refugee Households As Sites of Gender Renegotiation,” in D. Indra, Engendering Forced Migration Knowledge and Practice. Oxford: Berghahn, 1999
- For information on Bhutanese refugee crises see for instance: M. Hutt, Unbecoming Citizen: Culture Nationhood and the Flight of Refugees from Bhutan. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2003.
- Human Rights Watch, “Trapped by Inequality: Bhutanese Refugee Women in Nepal,” Sep. 2003.
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