My name is Kiran, and I am 17 years old. I am the second child in my family.
I was born in a Madhesi Community. My father was the sole breadwinner of our family of seven. As a result, we did not have enough to make ends meet.
When I was a kid, my father used to work as a clothes supplier. Despite hardships, my parents sent all of us to school.
In the Madhesi community, people believe that if the girls are given education, they will be uncultured. An educated girl also means parents have to provide a lot of wealth in a dowry. As a result, many girls in the Madhesi community get married at an early age.
I was born and raised in a community where girls and women are not allowed to speak up in front of others. They are expected to leave in the shadow of men.
Since my childhood, I wondered why there were such discriminations between men and women.
At the age of 15, I came across the adolescent girl’s group in our village. In the beginning, I didn’t know how the group functions.
As I join the group, I participated in the different discussion programs conducted by the adolescent girl's group such as child marriage, adolescent girls' health issues, violence against women, dowry system.
Those discussion sessions helped me be aware of issues related to girls and women.
When girls get married at an early age, they suffer from health complications and become deprived of education.
I started to make people aware of these topics in my community. In my community, a girl isn't expected to walk outside of her home or talk in front of others.
But I started to go outside of my house. I also began to convince people against child marriage.
In doing so, I also faced many criticisms. I was told that I was being noisy in other's business and disrespecting elders for raising my voice against the harmful practices.
My parents were also warned that they should not let me walk freely on my own. After that, my parents too forbid me from leaving home
For the next six months, I was forced to stay at home and do household chores.
But they could not restrict my movement as I was determined for bringing change to the community.
I made my parents understand my goal of becoming a changemaker. I told them that I wanted to bring positive change to society.
My determination and my passion for social work encouraged me to join the adolescent girl’s group again.
I will keep on fighting against gender inequality and harmful traditional practices until there is a change in people's attitude towards women in my community.