Sunita Basnet

Nepalese

I am Sunita Basnet studying at Asian University for Women in Bangladesh. I volunteered with the Informal Service Sector Center (INSEC) in Biratnagar, Nepal as a Facilitator for the “Constitutional Assembly and People’s Dialogue” campaign. I founded the “Women’s Saving Club” which continues till today. I have also been selected to be a Correspondent for World Pulse that seeks to create “equal visibility” for women in international media and foster leadership by broadcasting their ignored voices.

I grew up in a remote village (Mirgouliya-8, Morang) of about five hundred people in eastern Nepal where most of the people in my village, especially the girls, are poor, illiterate, ignored and discriminated against in the community. Sometimes, these women are sold by their parents and husbands under fraudulent promises. Poverty is the main barrier to advancement, keeping women lagging behind men and so I want to work against poverty in the future. In my village, women had no opportunities to participate in social activities and to network with others. I created the “Women’s Saving Club” as I?thought it could be a good way for women to interact with others, and encourage women to change their lives by themselves. It is a microfinance enterprise run by women with male support. I started the club by collecting fifteen rupees from each of the ten founders every month. Fifteen Nepalese rupees convert to around $0.23 U.S. cents. We provide loans to the members, as well as to others. At present, there is a member from each family, and they collect Rs. 50 per month. In the future, I?would like to convert the savings club into women’s saving and credit union bank which will be run solely by women for women’s empowerment.

Motivated, determined, ambitious and creative, I am full of energy and enthusiasm to make the world a better place. In furthering my dream, I participated in the Human Rights Journalism Forum in Biratnager, Nepal and Informal Service Sector Center (INSEC) in Biratnagar, Nepal. As a facilitator in INSEC, I?led a delegation of eighty people, including underprivileged women, political leaders, businessmen, farmers, teachers and members from two village development councils. I am very concerned about poverty, and believe that education will help to bring equality and peace in the world. Therefore, I am arranging a meeting on July 11, 2009 in Kathmandu with two of my fellow World Pulse Global Correspondents around the issue “How to educate children, especially girls, in the context of Nepal.” I am studying in full scholarship in Access Academy of Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

As a One Young World candidate, I will represent everyone, no matter who they are and where they from. I want to encourage all underprivileged, discriminated and ignored people to raise their voice by themselves. I will work hard to promote human as well as women’s rights in every corner of the world.