Gita Chaudhary

Lawyer and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Advocate
Nepal
DTP training helped me to understand how to practically apply UN mechanisms in defending human rights. I learned about how to contribute and engage with the Universal Periodic Review sessions, how to write to UN Special Rapporteurs and how to lodge individual complaints. Now I meet Special Rapporteurs when they visit Nepal.

DTP alumna Gita Chaudhary is a lawyer and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights advocate in Nepal. Belonging to Indigenous Tharu community, Gita has dedicated her life in addressing the challenges faced by Tharu people in Nepal. As a lawyer she practices law, focusing on human rights and justice for Indigenous peoples in Nepal.

Tharu people make up 6.2% of Nepal’s population. They continue to face discrimination – including  over rights to their land, to food and food sovereignty

Gita is committed to making a difference through her advocacy. She co-founded, Maryada Foundation, and is a founding member of Youth Advocacy Nepal, a not-for-profit organisation with an aim to foster democratic culture, support human dignity and social justice through innovative programs and activism.

Gita said that her dedication to human rights is deeply tied with her own experience of facing multiple acts of discrimination when growing up in Nepal as an Indigenous girl. At school she was bullied for language differences and for her Tharu background. Many of her female classmates dropped out of school early, a trend Gita works tirelessly to combat through her advocacy for girls’ education and empowerment.

As a Vice President of the Tharu Student Society, Gita leads education campaigns, grant scholarship and mentors students from her community to pursue academic success

Asked about the impact of the DTP training Gita said:

DTP training helped me to understand how to practically apply UN mechanisms in defending human rights. I learned about how to contribute and engage with the Universal Periodic Review sessions, how to write to UN Special Rapporteurs and how to lodge individual complaints. Now I meet Special Rapporteurs when they visit Nepal. Thanks to DTP.

Gita also said the bonding and networking she gained through her DTP training is priceless.

Being an Indigenous rights activist it may sometimes feel that our journey is a lonely one. However, DTP training provided an inspiring space where I was able to meet so many other activists from other countries. I developed a profound sense of solidarity. I now know that even though the training is over I am not alone. If I run into any problems, DTP alumni network would be there to support me.

Moving forward, Gita wants to join politics and wants to become a parliamentarian and even a Minister. She firmly believes that there needs to be wider representation of Indigenous people in Nepal’s government. Without the participation of the Indigenous people in decision making processes their rights will continue to be ignored in Nepal says Gita.

My ultimate goal is to bring the voices of Indigenous and marginalized peoples into the corridors of the government, where I can advocate for policies that promote justice, equality, and human rights.

October, 2024

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