In rural areas, a large number of men migrate overseas to find work. Thus, the women left behind are often the ones responsible for finding solutions to challenges arising from increasing water shortages and irregular monsoons. The added responsibility is an extra burden for the women, but it also presents a possibility for them to empower themselves in a highly male-dominated society.
Bungathali, Nepal, 2020.
Basanti Jirel (33) planting corn in the hills of Bungathali, where she has lived all her life. Her husband is working as a driver in Saudi Arabia.
Jirel drops corn seeds into the soil while a man she has hired plows the soil with two oxen.
Oxen are often used for heavy manual labor, such as plowing the soil, but only men are allowed do this work.
The village and surrounding district was severely damaged in the 2015-earthquake. The houses with blue roof are among those that were rebuilt afterwards.
The local elementary school in Bungathali.
Jirel works on the farm every day and says that she enjoys the village-life.
A streetlight in the village.
