Eighteen years on, since the signing of the peace agreement, there can still be no talk of peace in Nepal. The lack of political will, patriarchal social norms as well as political instability are hindering its implementation, leading to intergenerational consequences for those affected by the conflict. They want to be recognised as victims of the violence of war and demand the truth. Our colleagues Camille Bernheim and Karin Widmer listened to them at a Women's Peace Table.

Eighteen years on, since the signing of the peace agreement, there can still be no talk of peace in Nepal. The lack of political will, patriarchal social norms as well as political instability are hindering its implementation, leading to intergenerational consequences for those affected by the conflict. They want to be recognised as victims of the violence of war and demand the truth. Above all, they want to be heard. Our colleagues Camille Bernheim and Karin Widmer listened to them at a Women's Peace Table.

A young woman stands in front of the assembled group and tells her story. When her sister became seriously ill, she and her brother took the girl to hospital. “Where is your father?” they were asked. He was killed in the war, they explained. As a result, treatment was refused. Who pays for treatment when the father is dead?

This story is one of 24 personal testimonies from participants at the Women's Peace Table (WPT), which took place in Nawalpur in February. They illustrate how people affected by the civil war “are constantly reminded of what happened during the war”, says Camille. The often tragic stories of the participants made her realise how drastic the 10 years of war had been – and remain – for the people. “It's as if the war never really ended.” The war officially ended in 2006 with the signing of the peace agreement between the Nepalese government and the Maoist party at the time. The wounds remain.

Discrimination and marginalisation

At the WPT, some spoke for the first time about what they had experienced during and since the war. Others heard for the first time how women had been raped, imprisoned and tortured during the war. The stories show the far-reaching experiences of those affected. Today, they still experience discrimination and marginalisation by authorities and relatives: the women who experienced sexualised violence but are not considered official victims of war and therefore receive no reparations from the government; the widow whose house was confiscated by her husband's family; the son who only learnt about his father's killing when his mother took part in another WPT and was willing to tell him about it. Some do not know whether their family members are still alive. They are among the estimated 1,500 people who are still considered disappeared today. These experiences are shared by families of all parties to the conflict. 

Our partner organisation Nagarik Aawaz intentionally tries to bring those affected from all sides to the WPT. One woman's story shows just how important this work is: “I was always full of resentment towards the Maoists. That's why I was initially irritated when Nagarik Aawaz invited me to an event with participants from all sides of the conflict. But my view changed. After the event, I called my friend, with whom I no longer had contact because her father was a Maoist, and we visited each other.”

War wounds

The wounds of war are passed on to the next generation. One young man said that everything he learnt at the intergenerational meeting was “historic”. This is because the civil war is not part of the curriculum in schools and many parents do not talk about their experiences in order to protect their children. Another said that he had never realised what his mother had gone through.

The importance of these meetings is reflected in the testimonies. “This was the first time I had a safe space to cry with my mum”, said one woman. One man said: “When I was little, I wanted to kill those who killed my father. But today I no longer want revenge. Even though our experiences here are different, the pain we share is similar.” Like him, others emphasised that with events like these, Nagarik Aawaz is doing the work that the government should be doing.

But there is a lack of political will. There have been 13 changes of government since 2008. This political instability harbours the potential for further outbreaks of violence, says Karin, even though the current government is a coalition of former opponents during the war. Nagarik Aawaz seeks a positive peace, with comprehensive social justice, not just the absence of armed conflict. To achieve this peace, the structural violence in the deeply patriarchal Nepalese society must be overcome. Karin says that many institutions are denying the war. Non-governmental organisations have to write “social harmony” instead of “peace” in their proposals. After the peace agreement was signed, 600 peace organisations were registered. Today, twelve remain.

Reconciliation and change

The official reconciliation process only took place at the highest institutional level, not in the communities. Four local politicians were invited to the second day of the WPT to drive this process forward. Some participants presented the group's demands to them: recognition, truth and accountability. One politician said afterwards that she had not realised conflict-affected people are living in her community. She invited those affected to continue working together.

With events like these, Nagarik Aawaz is initiating change that shakes up discriminatory structures in families and neighbourhoods. Being listened to and taken seriously also builds the women's self-confidence. The young woman at the beginning of this article confronted the hospital employee who refused to treat her sister. Thanks to her increased self-confidence, her sister finally received the medical treatment she needed.

More on our work in Nepal.

What are peace processes? And where do women exert influence? Find out more.