Women in the Bardiya district in midwestern Nepal began work on the first Advocacy Quilt to honor victims of enforced disappearance from Nepal’s civil war. With support from NEFAD and the Advocacy Project, 30 women used embroidery to remember their disappeared loved ones and to speak out about the continued injustice of being denied the truth.
The Bardiya district suffered more forcible disappearances than any other district in Nepal. According to data from the ICRC, 261 people were reported missing from the time of the conflict. More than 1,600 people total have been registered as forcibly disappeared with the Commission on the Investigation of Enforced Disappearances.
Today, Bardiya is home to one of the largest and most active victims associations in NEFAD’s network. The quilting project began with two workshops to teach women how to tell their stories through traditional embroidery techniques, led by a member of Bardiya’s Conflict Victims Committee. When finished, the advocacy quilt will serve as a powerful testament to the resilience of the women who stitched each square.
NEFAD Nepal 