02/04/2025
Nearing the end of her time on our WomanStats team, Ushnata has worked social media, logistics and coding for us, and it will be hard to watch her leave! She is from Kathmandu, Nepal and got involved in WomanStats to pursue meaningful solutions to socially contrived gender imbalances.
"Having grown up in a patriarchal society where women were often treated as insignificant, I was deeply moved to explore women’s empowerment. Back in my country, I worked extensively in this field, driven by the belief instilled in me by my parents that women are capable of achieving anything. However, witnessing others failing to treat women with the respect they deserve further fueled my passion for this cause.
Additionally, during Nepal’s civil war, a significant number of women soldiers fought for democracy, yet they were never given the positions and recognition they deserved. These injustices made me eager to understand women’s roles in peace and security on a broader scale. All of these experiences and observations inspired me to learn more about Women, Peace, and Security (WPS).
When I used to talk to men who didn’t understand gender issues, they often dismissed my points, saying I was speaking from emotion and lacked data. They believed data was logical and more convincing. That experience made me realize how important data is when trying to prove a point and make people see the reality of gender inequality.
This understanding drew me to work with WomanStats. I wanted to use real numbers and evidence to show the challenges women face. Working with this data has had a huge impact on my academic life. It has strengthened my research skills and helped me back up my arguments with solid facts. Now, I can confidently present information that is not just personal experience but backed by data, making my work more credible and impactful."
