Durga Ghimire
Co-Founder/President of ABC/Nepal
Co-Founder of Tamakoshi Service Society
Women’s Rights Activist
Author

Durga Ghimire has spent the majority of her life advocating for the fair treatment of women in Nepal. In 1987 she and Meera Arjyal founded ABC/Nepal, a human rights organization working to create awareness of issues surrounding the trafficking of women and young girls in Nepal. ABC/Nepal strives to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women. Since its inception, the ABC/Nepal team has grown to include over 5,000 women volunteers and 2,000 community workers. The organization works along with other local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to facilitate programs in areas like women's leadership, informal education, and increasing awareness of trafficking of girls. ABC/Nepal works to create a strong network against the trafficking of women and young girls by promoting self-reliance and self-confidence among women through self-development training and economic empowerment.

On April 19, 2006, Ghimire was honored by the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial with the Hope Award for her work with the Tamakoshi Service Society (TSS). This community-based organization, which she co-founded with her husband, Jagdish, works to improve the lives of marginalized people in Ramechhap, Nepal. TSS is the only agency providing essential services in an area where widespread intimidation, coercion and human rights abuses are rampant. The organization works with World Neighbors to provide basic services in preventative and reproductive health care, sustainable agriculture, water supply and income generation through rural micro-enterprise.

In addition to her work with various development organizations, Ghimire has done extensive research concerning women and development issues. Durga Ghimire is an active presenter at conferences throughout the world, and in 2001 she published the English version of "Staying Alive: Memories of Women in Prison." This publication relates the experiences of women in jail in Kathmandu, where Durga Ghimire was imprisoned in the early 1970s for organizing and leading a pro-democracy student’s movement. Ghimire’s work has not only provided a voice for the women of Nepal, but her leadership has transformed the lives of marginalized women throughout the country.

Photo by Jeremy Thorne.


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