Yashoda Dhaakal

I am a young, enthusiastic graduate nurse. I have never known fully about issues of sex and gender and never considered them important. I never talked about it with my friends. I never thought that discovering the meaning of sexuality will make such a huge difference in me regarding my own body. To know that sexuality is the way of expressing myself in terms of emotions, desires, pleasure and the way I look towards my own body.

When I was graduating I was in a circle who never spoke about sex or sexuality. Though I never thought sex by mutual consent was a big issue, still I did have the feeling that if something goes wrong, the girl would be punished for not being honest about it to her family.

I always wondered what is the matter with society, even educated people,when a young adult girl decides to live in her own way, have a partner of her own choice or have pre –marital sex, when that same society allows
her to suffer gender discrimination, sexual violence and feel like she is dying many times before her death.

After participating in the YAI and having such wonderful sessions regarding gender, patriarchy, sexuality and SRHR, I can now answer myself.

This shame and stigma is a product of a patriarchal society and I am a part of it as well.

This Institute helped me to recognise that and steady my wandering thoughts. Now I am inspired to be an agent of change!