In the rural plains of Gauriganga Municipality 6 Daidwari, Reenadevi Chaudhari, thirty seven, lives with her husband and two children on unregistered land. For Reenadevi and countless other women in Nepal, land rights are not just about having a place to live—they are about ensuring economic empowerment, gender equality, and climate justice. As a woman from the Tharu community, Reenadevi has experienced the intersection of these issues throughout her life.
Born into a world where she was subjected to the Kamlari system—a feudalistic practice that forced young Tharu girls into bonded labor—Reenadevi’s childhood was spent in her landlord's house, working tirelessly from the age of six. “Overwork, scolding, and beatings were normal, but I also faced gender-based violence many times.” Like her, her husband was also a Kamaiya, a form of bonded labor for men, working on the landlord's farm. The government officially freed Kamaiya men on 17th July 2000, but it wasn’t until 27th June 2023 that the Kamlari system was officially abolished. Even after their release, Reenadevi and her husband were left landless and excluded from the government’s food and rehabilitation schemes. Despite their skills in farming and survival, they had no place to call home.
Reenadevi’s childhood was spent in her landlord's house, working tirelessly from the age of six
Photo courtesy: NLRF
Struggles for Land and Survival
After their release, Reenadevi and her family faced countless challenges, including forced evictions and extreme poverty. “Many times, we slept with empty stomachs, but we knew how to survive by gathering forest foods.” In 2000, she and ten other landless households constructed huts on degraded forest land in Daidwari. However, the community forest groups repeatedly tried to evict them. Despite the hardships, Reenadevi persisted, slowly building a life through farming and selling forest products.
“We started cultivating the land despite restrictions,” Reenadevi recalls. Over time, she learned farming techniques from her neighbors and ventured into vegetable farming and tunnel farming. Yet, she was denied access to government support because the land she cultivated was unregistered. “I tried to get mushroom training and a water motor for irrigation, but I was rejected because I didn’t own land.” Without a land certificate, Reenadevi felt invisible, excluded from resources and opportunities. “I felt like I wasn’t counted as a citizen of Nepal.”
It was until she convinced her father to lend her his land certificate, that Reenadevi could register an agricultural firm.
Photo courtesy: NLRF
This small but significant victory gave her access to training and support, building her confidence to combat hunger, poverty, and forced evictions. It was a turning point that fueled her involvement in land rights advocacy and climate resilience efforts.
Building a Future on Sustainable Agriculture
With her registered firm, Reenadevi began practicing sustainable agriculture, producing a variety of crops and livestock, including vegetables, paddy, wheat, mushrooms, pigs, chickens, goats, and cows. This allowed her to build a semi-constructed home and provide for her children’s education. “Farming has given me the courage to fight hunger and food insecurity.”
However, extreme weather patterns—from heat waves to floods—have posed significant challenges to her farm production, reducing her income and threatening her family’s food security. “The heat waves, cold waves, and heavy rains destroy our crops and make it hard to feed my family. I lose income every year, but I have no access to compensation.”
Through her involvement with Inclusive Climate Action and the National Land Rights Forum (NLRF), Reenadevi came to realize that land rights are essential for climate resilience. Without land tenure security, rural women remain vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. “There is no resilience without land rights.”
The Role of Land Rights in Climate Justice
In her quest for land ownership, Reenadevi filled out forms with the National Land Commission and secured temporary proof of registering her land with joint ownership alongside her husband. This land, around 0.2704 hectares, was a hard-fought victory for Reenadevi, yet it remains a small part of her larger vision. She dreams of expanding her farming as a sharecropper on 1.6224 hectares of land. “I dream of establishing a big tunnel farm and becoming a leading woman farmer in my community.”
For women like Reenadevi, land rights are not only a matter of personal security but also a stepping stone toward economic empowerment and climate justice. “Without land ownership, we cannot access finance, loans, subsidies, or compensation for climate disasters. I have worked hard, but because I don’t have a land certificate, I am excluded from so many opportunities.”
In the face of climate-induced disasters like floods, droughts, and human-animal conflict, women are often at the forefront, struggling to protect their families and livelihoods. “We lose our crops, our income, and sometimes our homes, but without a land certificate, we are denied the assistance that could help us rebuild.” For Reenadevi, the fight for land rights is intertwined with the fight for climate justice, as landless women are left to bear the brunt of climate change’s impacts.
Hope for Future Generations
Despite the many challenges she faces, Reenadevi remains hopeful. “I will not give up. I hope that one day I will have full land ownership, which will make me more secure and resourceful.” Her vision extends beyond her immediate family. “I want to share my success and benefits with my daughter, daughter-in-law, and other women in my community. I want them to learn from my journey.”
She sees equitable land rights as the key to unlocking finance, subsidies, and government support for rural women. “Land rights are crucial for us to access the resources we need to survive and thrive.” Without them, women are left vulnerable to poverty, hunger, and violence. In her community, land ownership is not just about personal wealth but about ensuring housing rights, family wellbeing, and climate resilience.
Reenadevi’s story is one of resilience, perseverance, and hope. Her experiences reflect the broader struggles of rural women across Nepal, who face both systemic discrimination and the growing threat of climate change. Through her advocacy and farming practices, she is building a future where women are empowered, resilient, and secure in their land rights.
Reenadevi’s journey from bonded labor to land rights advocate is a testament to the power of perseverance.
Photo courtesy: NLRF
The Role of ILC, NLRF, Landesa, and Women-Led Collective Advocacy for Inclusive Climate Action in Land Rights Advocacy
Organizations like the International Land Coalition (ILC) Asia, the National Land Rights Forum (NLRF), and Landesa and their joint efforts in the “Women-led Collective Advocacy for Climate Action project have played a pivotal role in supporting women like Reenadevi. Through advocacy, these organizations ensure that land rights are recognized as a cornerstone for economic empowerment, inclusivity, and climate justice. By providing women with the knowledge, resources, and tools they need, they help pave the way for women to secure their futures through land ownership, transforming lives and ensuring gender equality and resilience in the face of climate change.
Glimmers of Hope
Reenadevi’s journey from bonded labor to land rights advocate is a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of equitable land policies. Her story is one that will inspire future generations of women to continue the fight for land ownership, climate resilience, and economic empowerment. “I dream of a future where women in my community have the land rights they deserve, where we can all contribute to our families and communities with dignity and strength.”
With every step she takes, Reenadevi’s vision of a just, empowered future grows closer, filled with the promise that one day, the women of her community will stand on their own land, secure in their rights, and resilient against the challenges of a changing world.
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Header image courtesy: Tufan Chakma