Reintegration Challenges of 'Ex-Pla Women' in Post-Maoist Insurgency (2052-2062) Nepal

Abstract

The study identified several weaknesses, complications and consequent suffering of the ex- combatants in general and ex-PLA women in particular as well it also provides information on their actual status of socio-economic integration, their actual and short term livelihood, health, psycho-social and disabilities and other special needs for further planning and implementation of activities to support them by the Government. One of the unique characteristics of Maoist insurgency in Nepal was the central role women played in the PLA. Before the Maoist insurgency women’s participation in the political domain was extremely limited. The insurgency mobilized a surprisingly large number of Nepalese women into taking up arms. Social integration demands the repair of relations between combatants and families and communities potentially transformed by the conflict. Conservative and traditional restriction on women’s freedom, caste discrimination, forced marriages and limited decision making roles in the public and the private spheres, women saw the Maoist as egalitarian compared to their patriarchal communities. Decade long armed insurgency’s biggest success was women’s involvement in the PLA to change the social political system through a revolutionary ideology. Under the research, challenges in reintegration process and involvement of entrepreneurship of ex-PLA women were examined briefly. Under the methodology, descriptive and exploratory research designs were used for achieving the desired objectives. Different 351 respondents were identified for both qualitative as well as quantitative analysis. Reintegration is itself a misnomer for many of the PLA who have spent their entire adulthood and in some case half their lives within the Maoist movement. The findings have been that although most of the ex-PLA women are living outside of the place of their origin, their social status in the new host communities seems satisfactory and most of ex- PLA have utilize their money on small business. Some of them are unemployed and work as daily laborers when they get opportunity.