Bishnu Maya Pariyar was born and raised in a supportive home in Shahid Lakhan Municipality Ward 4 in Gorkha District. She calls herself fortunate not to have experienced gender violence in her younger years. However, being born into a Dalit family, she faced caste-based discrimination.

Her parents, farmers by profession, were also not financially well off. She remembers that her mother, like many Nepali women of her time, never learned to read. “Growing up, girls—especially ones from the so-called ‘lower castes’—weren’t sent to school. Even when we did go, we were teased and bullied by other kids,” she recalls. Despite these challenges, she remained resilient and continued her education.

Pariyar considers herself fortunate to have a father who recognised that education was the only way she could overcome the challenges life would throw at her and become successful. Her life took a turn when she met John Brugman, a Peace Corps volunteer from the US and the school’s science teacher, on her second day of high school. “The Peace Corps and John were crucial in making me believe in myself. They helped me find purpose in life and supported my studies,” she states.

Following this, Pariyar connected with Pam Rass, who helped her get a job as a research assistant at the University of Wisconsin College in Nepal in 1998. At the time, she was also an undergraduate student at Padma Kanya Campus in Kathmandu. Through her work, Pariyar befriended Jacob Kassel, whose parents were so impressed by her commitment to helping Dalit and marginalised individuals, that they invited her to study in the US.

In August 1998, she landed in the US. After a semester of English studies at Northeastern University in Boston, she received a full scholarship for her undergraduate degree in social and political science at Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

Post-graduation, she worked as a domestic violence advocate with her Optional Practical Training (OPT), benefiting from the opportunity for international students to work full-time in the US. Reflecting on her journey, she remarks, “Graduating from Pine Manor gave me hope, courage, and strength to continue in the field of social service.”

Following her bachelor’s degree, she was accepted at Clark University for her master’s with a full tuition scholarship as a social change fellow. She graduated from Clark in 2007 and later received an honorary doctor of letters from Pine Manor College in 2013.

In 2022, Massachusetts included her life story in the 7th-grade public school curriculum, which Pariyar reveals, made her very proud. Through her organisation, the Association for Dalit Women’s Advancement of Nepal (ADWAN), which she founded in 1998, Pariyar has supported over 150,000 Dalit individuals and women from marginalised backgrounds as well as more than 20,000 vulnerable children.

Currently, Pariyar is the senior director at the non-profit sexual violence and rape crisis centre, Hudson Speaks Against Sexual Violence, a commissioner for New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) and advisor for Mayor Steven M Fulop of Jersey City, New Jersey. She is also an emissary of the Sister City between Jersey City and Nepal’s Indrawati Rural Municipality.

She is married to Pradeep Thapa, and as a symbol of gender equality, Thapa took on her family name after marriage. Pariyar commends her husband’s simple yet meaningful act of adopting her last name as a part of their campaign.

Throughout her journey, Pariyar has been recognised for her commitment to uplifting marginalised communities. As a women’s rights activist, her friend Bharati Silwal Giri notes her dedication to combating discrimination against women and Dalits. Colleagues including Harry Bhandari, a Maryland State delegate in the US, and Kishor Panthi, founder and editor-in-chief of khasokhas.com, have praised her as an embodiment of altruism, unwavering commitment, and a force for positive change.

“Bishnu Maya Pariyar’s commitment to uplifting marginalised communities has been inspiring. Her efforts in social development and combating domestic violence showcase her dedication to societal change. It’s a privilege to observe her impactful work,” says Bhandari.

Similarly, Kishor Panthi describes her as a beacon of hope, sparking positive change and inspiring individuals to rise above the challenges of oppression.