Janakpur, a busy commercial centre on the Indian border in south-east Nepal, is also an important pilgrimage site for devout Hindus. It was in Janakpur that Rama (the seventh incarnation of Vishnu) married Sita (daughter of King Janak), forming a divine couple whose relationship is a source of inspiration to Hindus to this day. Every year, thousands of believers come to worship at the shrines and temples of the town, honoring the memory of two of the most popular divinities in the Hindu pantheon.



Traditionally, women in this part of Nepal were prohibited from taking any responsibility in the social or economic affairs of their communities. They were not allowed to travel, meet strangers or converse with men. As a result of the dowery system, spending money on the education of a daughter was considered a waste of essential resources. Conservative ideas, together with a large number of important restictions to their freedom, made it very difficult for women in the region to fullfil their capacities or potentiel. The Janakpur Women's Development Centre was set up to address this problem and to help poor, uneducated women attain financial and social independence through the use of their traditional artistic skills.

Not just a series of workshops for the production of paintings and various other forms of traditional craft work, The Centre is essentially a women's movement for social change that, in addition to ensuring a steady income, offers its members training in literacy, leadership, accounting and gender awareness. The women have full jurisdiction over the marketing of their work and manage all the affairs of the centre democratically. Building awareness of women's role in society, attempting to become a model programme for the empowerment of women, the JWDC has transformed the lives of its members. Widows and estranged wives in particular have gained self-respect and social status from their new-found financial independence. Anuragi Jha, one of the leading artists at the centre, says of her experience: "Before it was as if I wore glasses whose lenses were potatoes. Now I can see clearly."

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