Kathmandu: Urmila Chaudhary, who has fighting tirelessly for human rights and end of caste-based discrimination in Nepal, has been awarded 2024 Global Anti-Racism Champion (GARC) by the US Department of State. “Urmila has shown incredible leadership and commitment to advancing human rights for marginalized castes and ethnic communities in Nepal,” the US embassy in Kathmandu said. “Her tireless work to combat systemic racism, discrimination, and xenophobia, while advocating for equitable access to education, justice, and economic development, is truly inspiring.”
“Her work on empowering former bonded laborers and advancing the rights of marginalized castes and ethnic communities is shaping a more inclusive future for all Nepalis,” said the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the State Department said.
Urmila Chaudhary has a bitte history of struggle. At 17, she was rescued from child domestic servitude after which she co-founded the Freed Kamlari Development Forum and established 42 cooperatives to empower former Kamlari girls. She is currently studying at the Kathmandu School of Law to further her fight against injustice.
She has been honored for her dedication to advancing the rights of marginalized castes and ethnic communities in Nepal and for combatting systemic racism and intersectional abuses, the US Department of State said.
Urmila Chaudhary’s unwavering dedication to eliminating the Kamlari system liberated thousands of girls and sparked a broader social justice movement in Nepal.
Also read: Meet Urmila Chaudhary, the beacon of hope in the fight against Kamlari system
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