By Gokarna Dayal, Baitadi, Dec. 1: The Badi community has long been marginalised in society. They lack access to resources and do not often find space in decision-making circles. But one woman is determined to change that.

Kalpana Badi of Mataina, Bhimdatta Municipality–9, Kanchanpur, is currently in Baitadi to discuss the hardships the women of the 45 Badi households of her area face and to talk about her community’s right over the waters of the Mahakali.

“We [Badi] live along the banks of the Mahakali River and our whole lives revolve around it,” she told The Rising Nepal.

“Every monsoon, the river inundates our settlements and drowns our people. Yet, we have no say in controlling its flow. Our entire income depends on extracting sand, clinkers and other riverine materials. Yet, we have no right over the river.”

“These are the issues I am here to talk about,” Badi said, explaining that she was in Baitadi to draw attention to the plight of the Badis living in the areas bordering the Mahakali River.

Badi said that she came to understand her community’s rights over the Mahakali River after officials from OXFAM came to her village with the Transboundary Rivers of South Asia (TROSA) project. The project also set up a women empowerment centre to aware women of the rights the local communities have over the rivers near which they live. Badi is the coordinator of the centre.

“The society used to look down on the Badi women,” she said. “That has now changed with us asserting ourselves and taking leadership roles.”

OXFAM is implementing the TROSA project in collaboration with the Government of Nepal and the local government, informed Rajan Subedi, river basin manager in OXFAM Nepal. “During the project, we have seen a new level of energy in local Badi women,” he said.