Strength TogetHER 3- Session 2


8th August 2020

Facilitated by ‘Lokopakar’ youth organization which focuses on the development of youth in Nepal, 'Strength togetHER' virtual program is created specially, for girls and young women of different mindsets and backgrounds. During our sessions, they all come together to share various views, ideas, perspectives, experiences, and stories. This space helps them to grow as individuals by creating a platform to just be themselves, talk about their issues, and find solutions to their problems.

From sharing our stories to voicing our opinions we have successfully carried out our second session. It has been a roller coaster ride and I am very glad that girls have uttered to articulate their matters in a group. The feeling of nervousness when we held our first session was nothing to compare with our second session. Again, with our other session, I feel empowered and got different ideas which I am very thankful for. Strength TogetHER acts as a helping hand to all the girls.  

It was a pleasant conversation to have Miss. Rozina Dahal as our moderator for this session for the second time. She graduated from Kathmandu University in development studies and has been volunteering for various organizations. She has always been vocal about gender issues and inequality. Her own stories convey that she has overcome many obstacles to become her as a person now. We had our topic selected “Do I meet the Nepali beauty Standards?” Our society has different ways of stereotyping girls and we justified each of them. 

One of our members expressed how she was getting mocked while raising up in a family where she grew up having a small height. She was scorned about her height inside her house. In Nepali society, height should be average. Criticism is faced when we are either tall or short. And it all starts from our house.

Another member expressed her opinion about having different body types. Girls in Nepal are preferred to have a certain body type. She continues on how she was ridiculed by her own surrounding.

Another member expressed how she was judged by being a hybrid herself, behaving not so girly in the comparison with other girls, misleading to the fact that boys also have various problems not only us. But it's also us who think that we have to do everything to meet the beauty standard while the boys don’t even put much of an effort.

Our moderator also expressed herself how she was mistaken as an Indian just because of her having a dark circle and how she was compared with her sibling for having darker skin. All in all, fairness is the major beauty standard in Nepal.

Some of the recommendations given by our moderator :

  1. BE YOURSELF.
  2. Always be comfortable with your body types.
  3. It’s okay not to be okay.
  4. FAIRNESS isn’t the definition of prettiness being bold and smart is. 
  5. Surround yourself with optimistic friends and family.
  6. Inner beauty is something we should all focus on.
  7. Boys also do feel uncomfortable on their own. 
  8. Love thyself.

Our session ended admirably. Our members addressed their thoughts and idea about Nepali beauty standards in a very skillful way. It was a fruitful conversation with them and expecting some more bold ideas and views in the upcoming sessions. 

Written by: Christy Gurung 

Edited by: Barsha Tamang 


 

 

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