Butwal, Nepal: The Jagaran Media Center put a new spin on a traditional Nepali women’s festival this past weekend by using the occasion as an opportunity to highlight women’s issues in the country.

On August 30, Radio Jagaran held a Haritalika Teej festival in Butwal, Nepal, which included a singing competition to raise awareness of women’s rights. The competition aimed to reveal the difficulties faced by women in Nepal, including issues such as violence against women, social discrimination, HIV/AIDS, trafficking, and safe motherhood.

Teej is a women’s festival that is observed annually in Nepal. Traditionally, married women observe Teej by fasting and praying for the health of their husbands. Unmarried women also observe Teej in hopes of finding a good husband. Traditional songs and dances are an important part of Teej and can be seen in all parts of Nepal during the festival.

Participants in the Radio Jagaran competition were required to write and perform an original song in the traditional Teej style that addressed an issue affecting Nepali women. Jagaran Media Center (JMC) and Radio Jagaran hoped that the competition would encourage Constituent Assembly members to consider women’s rights as Nepal’s new constitution is written.

“Most importantly, we want to make women aware of their rights through Teej songs which will create public pressure to address women’s issues in making the new constitution,” said Uma Paudel, Regional Program coordinator for JMC.

Radio Jagaran’s Haritalika Teej competition involved 40 singing groups who competed for recognition and cash prizes.

JMC is a partner of The Advocacy Project (AP). AP recruited Heather Gilberds to volunteer as a Peace Fellow this summer with Radio Jagaran in Butwal. Ms Gilberds had been blogging about her work with Radio Jagaran and provided the information for this report.