Thirty-seven-year-old Mahato was married off at the age of 15 and had her first child within a year. She endured domestic violence during her pregnancy and was forced to perform heavy manual labour which caused uterine prolapse. She went on to join the Women’s Rehabilitation Center (WOREC), a rights organisation and became a health counsellor and social mobilizer, supporting women who have been subjected to violence, raising their awareness of their rights.

Her outlook and initiative did not gain her many followers in the village and they thought she was spreading wrong ideas and was shunned for speaking out about something that was considered taboo. In the year 2008, Amnesty International had started a Global Campaign for Rita Mahato’s security as she faced scrutiny in her village for speaking against child marriage.

“She even got threats and people pelted stones at her office for speaking out,” according to Abhiram Roy of Amnesty International.

According to Living History Forum which felicitated Mahato on behalf of the Swedish government, she was awarded this year’s prize for fight against sexual violence against women at a local level.

“Her tenacious struggle against sexual violence aimed at women and girls in a patriarchal, violent and socially vulnerable society. In spite of her and her family being the targets of a constant stream of grave threats, she continues the fight to strengthen the human rights of Nepal’s women,” according to a statement issued by the Living History Forum.

The prize carries a purse of 15000 Euros.

Mahato said she would use some of the money towards raising awareness and realise her dream of opening an old age home someday.

Threat to peace, democracy in SAsia: SAHR

Members of the South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), a regional human rights organisation, have expressed concerns over the deteriorating rights situation in the region.

In a statement addressed to the Saarc heads of state that was issued on Monday, they said the situation of human rights and “the threat to peace, secularism and democracy are of serious concern to the regional civil society”.

“The region is fraught with conflicts where security is diminishing and governments’ militaristic response, far from resolving these conflicts, is undermining the rule of law and increasing human insecurity. The number of conflict induced internally displaced persons and refugees in the region has spiralled,” read the statement.

They pointed out at deterioration in the respect for people’s fundamental rights, in particular, freedom of assembly and association, freedom of expression and the right to protest. The growing impoverishment and inequality and its grievous impact on Dalit’s, women and indigenous population are a consequence of the adoption of flawed models for economic growth.

The statement signed by Chairperson Hina Jilani and Co-Chairperson Nimalka Fernando further said a serious challenge to democracy in the region is the ascendance of religious extremism, intolerance and the tendency towards majoritarianism. “Pluralism and diversity which are the hallmark of this region are under threat from such groups, which often enjoy overt or covert patronage from state entities,” SAHR said in the statement.