Why the world needs more women like Dullari

Sometimes change begins quietly, with one woman finding her voice. Yet that single voice can create a ripple that grows right into a tidal wave. A wave powerful enough to reshape families, communities and even entire societies.

Across the world, teams are working to attain the United Nations’ fifth Sustainable Development Goal – gender equity by 2030. The vision is inspiring, but incredibly daunting. How will we move beyond reports and policy to create lasting change? The answer lies within the lives of girls like Dullari, whose story reminds us that when a girl rises, she doesn’t rise alone.

Most of us agree, in principle, that nobody must be defined by their gender. Everyone deserves the possibility to learn, work and thrive. Yet for thousands and thousands of girls and girls, this principle stays painfully out of reach. Deeply ingrained cultural and historical biases proceed to disclaim women opportunities routinely afforded to men. Progress has been made, but it will be significant to recollect it has been won through sustained courage, determination and a steely commitment across generations. Not just because society evolved.

In the UK, gender equality conversations often deal with pay gaps or female representation in leadership. These are vital issues, little question. But within the communities where The Leprosy Mission works, the struggle is much more basic. It is whether or not a woman can go to highschool, whether a girl can seek medical care without permission from her husband, and whether she will be able to live in her own residence without fear.

In lots of these communities, girls’ education is neglected and marriage is usually seen as their only security. When a girl is diagnosed with a feared disease like leprosy, her vulnerability intensifies. She is more likely than a person to be blamed, rejected or isolated. This was the truth Dullari faced.

Through our three-year Dignity First project in Nepal, a team worked across 4 districts to enhance the health, wellbeing and dignity of individuals affected by leprosy, disability and extreme poverty. Women were at the guts of this work. We strengthened a government-led network of Female Community Health Volunteers, training 635 women to recognise early signs of leprosy and guide others to treatment. These trusted women bring knowledge, reassurance and an influence that might be felt for generations.

Women newly diagnosed with leprosy are also supported through Self-Help Groups, where they learn self-care, advocacy and leadership skills. In these spaces, women aren’t on the margins. For the primary time of their lives, they lead.

When Dullari was first diagnosed, she could barely meet one other woman’s gaze, hiding her face even while drinking tea. She confided in nobody but her husband. Treatment required her to scale back her working hours, so she felt she had no selection but to inform him. Her mother-in-law accused her of being lazy and pretending to be sick. Still, Dullari kept her diagnosis secret, terrified that revealing the reality may cost a little her home, family and community.

Although her husband initially supported her, tensions grew. When she asked him to get monetary savings for his or her children’s education, he responded with violence. At the time, Dullari didn’t even recognise this as abuse. It simply felt like a consequence of her illness that she needed to endure.

Then all the things began to alter.

At her Self-Help Group, Dullari learned that violence is neither inevitable nor acceptable. As her confidence grew, and as she began earning her own income through sustainable farming training, her sense of price deepened. She found the courage to talk.

Today, her husband sees her as an equal and supports her leadership in the neighborhood. The violence that when darkened their home isn’t any longer hidden. Dullari speaks openly about her experiences, teaching her sons to treat their future wives with respect and kindness. 

Dullari is now Vice-President of her Self-Help Group in rural Nepal. She is a pillar of her community and an important source of strength to others. She stands within the district government office, speaking confidently about her group’s work. Women in her community now encourage their daughters and daughters-in-law to follow her example.

Whether a girl is born within the UK or a distant village in Nepal, the impact of gender equity is deeply human. It shapes how she sees herself, what she believes is feasible and the longer term her children will inherit.

Empowering women like Dullari does greater than change one life. It strengthens families, reshapes attitudes and interrupts cycles of poverty and violence which have continued for generations. When a female like Dullari rises like she has, she carries together with her a latest generation of empowered women and the hope of a real gender equality.

Peter Waddup is Chief Executive of The Leprosy Mission.