AIT alumna from Nepal Nominated as a Single Entity for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005
Ms. Binda Pandey (right), an AIT alumna from Gender and Development Studies FoS, SERD, is one of nine Nepali women who are among the 1000 women who have been collectively nominated as a 'single candidate' for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005. Ms. Pandey, who presently serves as Deputy Secretary General of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions, was a thesis advisee of Dr. Kyoko Kusakabe. She graduated from AIT in August 2002. Her thesis' title is 'Women Workers' Rights in Male Dominated and Female Dominated Garment Factories: A Case Study in Nepal'
The nomination in Nepal was announced on 29 June 2005, at press conference jointly organized by Sancharika Samuha, Strii Sakti, Tewa and Center for Women and Politics, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Most of the nominees are from rural and grassroots levels and work on the promotion of non-violent responses to conflict situations and structural injustices. Pradhan, Thapa, Shrestha and Gurung are women rights activists while Pandey is a workers' rights activist.
During 2004, nominees were sought from across the globe with the help of 20 coordinators. The international project team, in October, had selected the 1000 women from over 2000 from 153 countries.
Of the 1000 woman nominees, 157 have been nominated from the South Asian region, the highest compared to other regions in the world. Besides the nine nominees from Nepal, there are 16 from Bangladesh, 29 from Pakistan, 12 from Sri Lanka and 91 from India.
Kamla Bhasin, one of the 20 coordinators of '1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005' selection committee representing South Asia, said 'The idea of collective nomination of women for the Nobel Prize was initiated to mark 100 years of the first women recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Bertha von Suttneer.'
She added that the project intends to make women's efforts visible to counter injustice, discrimination, oppression and violence. For this reason, a large variety of women's peace strategies will be documented and disseminated through text, sound, images, biographies and films.
'The documentation aims to demonstrate the diverse and creative strategies of constructive conflict management. It is expected that awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to 1,000 women will enhance the recognition and honor accorded to the efforts of women throughout the world,' she concluded.
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