The support of Plan International's campaign has been life-changing for 21-year-old Geeta.
Girls need a chance to participate in the economy with dignity, equality and respect. While significant numbers of boys and some men are in domestic service in some countries, overall, about 90 per cent of domestic workers are female.
Geeta Choudhary describes her seven year long employment with a local teacher in her south Nepalese village as "hard, it was very hard". The dire economic situation of Geeta's family led to her being forced into a kamalari contract. The kamalari system is an old, south-western Nepalese tradition that forces young girls from the Tharu tribe to work in households away from their family. The "contracts" are usually oral, and based on mutual trust between family and master. Hard labour, abuse and general rights violations are common.
In Geeta's case, her father made a deal with a local teacher when she was 12 years old, and so began her employment. Geeta worked from sunrise until late in the evening, and had an annual income of 700 Nepali rupees (about $US10).
“It was a situation that was impossible to escape from. Even with all the verbal abuse and all the threats, there was nothing I could do. My master was well connected, he knew everyone. He was highly regarded in his community. I was afraid of the consequences for my family if I left.”
“What could I do?” adds her father Ganga Ram. “We went hungry at the time of making the contract. Owning land means everything in this area. There are no other options for making a living. At the time it happened, I did manual labour in surrounding villages. But people know you are from the Tharu tribe; they will pay you an absolute minimum – just enough to feed yourself at night when work is finished. I have also worked for contractors who don´t follow up on their word. This is common around here. I would work for a while, and then after finishing I would receive no pay. They knew I was Tharu, they knew no-one would react.”
At age 21, Geeta is not only free from the contract. She has started her own business, and employs her entire family. When business is good several of her friends also help out. Through Pla's kamalari abolition program Geeta has been able to rent a roadside café. Plan has invested in very simple chairs, benches and tables, and has taken care of the first three months of rent, after which, Geeta's family business will be self sustaining. And so far, Geeta has made 32,000 rupees – roughly 46 times her annual wage when she worked as a kamalari.
Geeta says: “Things are changing. Things are getting better. Just this last year, three other people have signed similar contracts with Plan and are running their own businesses. Girls are returning home. The atmosphere is different, people feel safer, they are not abused.”
And your family?
“It is very different. It is like we are a family now.”
And how does it feel to be the family boss?
“Good. It feels good.”
To support this campaign visit the Because I Am A Girl website and find out more, join the Facebook community and stay connected as this important campaign for the world’s girls builds momentum over the coming months and years.
