Lily Thapa is the founder of Women for Human Rights, which brings together Nepalese widows, many of whom were the young wives of men killed in Nepal’s eleven-year insurgency, out of isolation and dependency in their husbands' homes and connects them with each other in groups that help build their economic and political strength.
The groups give the widows, or “single women” as Lily prefers to use instead of the heavily symbolic “widow,” a chance to grieve together and to learn how to speak out and deal with the social and economic barriers that they face.
Watch a short video about Lily Thapa’s work in promoting the rights of widows.