Women in the Nepalese Civil War

Women were a significant group who were involved in the Maoist movement during the Nepalese Civil War, which refers to a violent insurgency that took place from 1996 to 2006. The insurgency was led by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (Nepali: नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (माओवादी-केन्द्र), or CPN (M-C) with the aim of establishing a People's Republic and ending the rule of the Nepalese Monarchy.[1] During this time, over 13,000 civilians and public officials were murdered, approximately 200,000 were displaced, and numerous others were tortured, extorted, and intimidated.[2] Although the majority of Maoist insurgents were men, the Maoist Party claimed that up to 40 percent of their 19,000 combatants were women.[3] This was regarded as an unprecedented move at the time, given that women were forbidden from fighting in the Nepalese Army until 2003.[4]

  1. ^ Hutt, M (2004). Himalayan "people's war": Nepal's Maoist Rebellion. London: Hurst.
  2. ^ Uprety, Bishnu Raj (2009). Nepal from War to Peace - Legacies of the Past and Hopes for the Future. New Delhi, India: Adroit Publishers.
  3. ^ Fontanella-Khan, James (September 26, 2009). "Women fighters in Nepal". Financial Times. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  4. ^ "Nepalese Army". www.nepalarmy.mil.np. Archived from the original on 2008-01-24. Retrieved 2021-09-01.