VOICES UNHEARD

Our goal in creating this platform was to hear and share their stories with the hopes of humanize and de-stigmatize perceptions of female prisoners in and outside of Nepal. A central component to these stories, as we learned, was also the story of prisoner’s children and the NGOs who provide assistance to this vulnerable group of women and their children. The researchers travelled to the east and west of Kathmandu to visit rural and urban prisons in Nepal, and visited various children homes, however the research was based out of Kathmandu, where many of the key NGO headquarters are located. Key findings include reasons for incarceration, stories of life in prison, reintegration as an ex-prisoner and the stigma that continues to impact the lives of the women even after release. The stories obtained and findings from our research are significant in understanding the blurred line between a “criminal” and a civilian. Lastly, this research highlights the larger framework of injustice that requires a systematic legal and societal shift towards a more inclusive future.